With the Wind
by Silverlaugh
Summary: Yori and Kagome are best friends. But when Yori is able to pass through the well to the Fuedal Era, will that change? Yori hates Inuyasha, sort of likes Sesshomaru and can fire a sacred arrow. Unknowingly, she moves with the wind. Will it tear her apart?
1. The Fuedal Era

With the Wind

1. The Feudal Era

The cold morning wind made its way through an open window. It entered the room of Yori Anoshi and touched her cheek softly, as if to wake the sleeping fifteen year old. She stirred slightly and turned over. The sun shone through her blinds and lit the back of her eyelids. She opened her eyes and groaned.  
"Yori! Yori wake up!" Her mom's voice floated up the stairs. Yori sat up and yawned as she stretched.  
"Yori get up or you'll be late!" Yori rubbed her eyes and looked sleepily at her wristwatch to find the time. 8:15. _Holy crap!  
_In all of five minutes, Yori was dressed and slinging her book bag over her shoulder. She bolted down the stairs and grabbed the toast and lunch her mother was holding out to her.  
"Love you! I'll see you after school!" she shouted and ran out of the door.  
The toast disappeared as she sprinted down the sidewalk. She checked her wristwatch and groaned at the time as she sped up. And as the doors of her junior high school came into view, fear and panic suddenly rose in her chest. She was rounding a corner when her foot snagged the edge of the pavement and she landed face first on the courtyard. The sound of the second bell filled her ears and she scrambled up.  
She yanked open the doors of the school and rushed down the clearing hallways to her locker. And as quickly as she was able, she pulled out her math text book and dashed off to first period. And she sighed in relief as the door closed behind her and final bell rang.  
"Ah Miss Anoshi, glad you could join us."  
"Same here sir." She nodded to him and looked around the classroom to find her seat. But as her eyes traced over the room, she caught the tired gaze of Kagome Higurashi, her best friend. Kagome smiled a sleepy smile and Yori's heart almost went into overdrive as she sat down.  
She and Kagome had been friends ever since they day Yori had lost her way home and stayed in the Higurashi shrine during a terrible storm that'd blown in. Kagome had found her and they were friends from then on. Well, at least until the beginning of the ninth grade. That was when Kagome had started becoming sick all of the time and Yori didn't see her as much.  
You see, Yori wasn't a part of the trio that always hung around Kagome. She was the one that lingered in the shadows but was always there when Kagome needed her. Now Kagome was back and sadly, Yori knew that it would only be for a short amount of time.  
And in that time Yori needed to talk to her.  
Watching her teacher very closely, Yori pulled out a sheet of paper, tore off one end, and scribbled:

_Kagome, I need to talk to you. Do you think I could walk home with you? Just turn and nod if I can._

Yori tapped the boy sitting next to her.  
"Hojo," she whispered. "Het Hojo, pass this to Kagome." He gave her a skeptical look but took the note. Yori watched as he tapped Kagome. She took the note from him, unfolded it, and turned to Yori. She smiled warmly and nodded her head yes.  
Final bell rang, signaling freedom from the torture that was junior high and the students rushed out. Yori was gathering her things when she felt someone beside her. She looked up to find Kagome staring at her.  
"Hi Yori." she said. And in an instant, Yori was jumping up and hugging her friend.  
"Oh my god Kagome! I haven't seen you in weeks!"  
"Yeah, well, with me getting sick all of the time, I haven't been able to get to school." Kagome said, earning a skeptical look from Yori. "What?"  
She shook her head slowly and frowned. "I need to talk to you." She said and the two walked out of the school together. It was quiet for a long while; there was an uneasy silence lingering between the two girls. And after becoming annoyed at staring at the ground, Yori looked up and stopped walking to face Kagome.  
"I don't believe you."  
"What, what do you mean?"  
"All these diseases and illnesses, I don't believe them Kagome! When we were little, you never got sick! You rarely even coughed! Then we get to the ninth grade and you're sick left and right. Never mind the fact no one's ever heard of the diseases you have." Kagome looked hurt, but Yori knew the expression was faked.  
"I can't believe you're doubting me Yori. Aren't you my friend?" she said.  
"I am your friend!" Yori stood up straight and held her face in her hands as hopelessness consumed her body. Then she looked at Kagome with as much seriousness as she could muster. "Last week your grandfather told me you had lyme disease. So I went to the hospital to check on you. And, and they said they'd never heard of you." Kagome looked caught and Yori sighed. "So, what's going on?"  
"I'm sorry Yori, but I can't tell you."  
"Because—" But her sentence was never finished. The two had arrived at the Higurashi shrine and something was making a lot of noise. And Yori could tell by the fearful look on Kagome's face that no one was supposed to be home.  
"What is that?" Yori asked aloud. Kagome shook her head.  
"I don't know." Though Yori was frightened herself, she started walking towards the door. Her footsteps seemed to echo around her and she could hear her heart beat in her ears. And as her hands wrapped around the cool metal of the door handle, she swallowed. And before her last ounce of courage could disappear with the wind, she yanked the doors open. And she couldn't believe what she saw.  
There was what looked like a centipede sticking its head in the well. Its red body was lumpy and as wide as the doors as it was long as a public bus. It had wings that a wasp should lay claim to and when it finally looked up at Yori, the thing possessed the head of an old man.  
"Give me the sacred jewel shard!" It hissed and lunged at her. Yori screamed as she jumped out of its way.  
"Yori!" she heard Kagome scream. "Hey you, leave her alone!"  
"Insolent human!" It said and turned its attention to Kagome.  
"Yori, get in the well!" Without a moment's hesitation, Yori was up and on her feet. Her mind was racing and her heat beating fiercely against her chest as she climbed down the latter and into the well. A moment later, Kagome jumped into the well and grabbed her hand. And as soon as she'd made contact with the ground the well disappeared. And, for what seemed like a second, Yori saw a blue surrounding. There were tufts of white floating all around them and everything seemed to be shining and Yori sucked in a terrified breath. Then, the floor of the well return.  
"What, what was that?" Yori asked.  
"It doesn't matter right now. Climb!" Kagome yelled pushing her friend upward.  
Yori climbed out of the well and gasped. Everywhere she looked, she saw trees. Big, beautiful, and lush trees that swayed as the wind blew. The sun was high in the sky and its shine's reflecting off of the evergreen blades of grass. Yori inhaled and took in fresh, clean air. _It's never clear like this at home. Where am I?  
_"Hey! Who the hell are you?" Some one was talking to her. Yori turned and saw a small group of people staring at her. There were two guys; one wearing blends of black and purple with short black hair and a staff in his hand. The other was in a red kimono-like thing and had long silver hair. He had a huge sword drawn and was the one who had addressed Yori previously. There was a woman who had giant boomerang on her back and something that looked like a huge cat poised besides her. And there was also a little fox thing.  
"I'll introduce everyone later. Inuyasha, there's a demon following us!" Kagome shouted running towards the silver-headed boy. And as if on cue, the demon burst out of the well and headed straight for Yori.  
"Out of the way!" Some one called and on instinct, she dropped to the ground. Her stomach turned as the sickening sound of metal meeting flesh filled the air. And when she looked up the demon was gone. Instead, standing in front of her was the boy in red. His eyes were golden and the sun was hitting him just right; his silver hair seemed to shine. And then she noticed…  
Yori gasped when she touched the ears on his head to find that they were indeed real.  
"Would ya stop touchin' me?" he said grabbing her wrists. "Kagome, who is this?"  
"Her name is Yori. She's one of my friends." Kagome said coming near them. "She was with me when the demon attacked."  
"Yes, but _how_ is she here? I was under the impression that only you and Inuyasha could travel through the well." the guy in purple said.  
"I don't know how, but she was able to come through." Kagome said. And then she gestured to the guy who was still holding her wrists. "Yori, this is Inuyasha."  
"Hello," Yori said freeing her hands and extending one to him. She raised her eyebrow when he just stared at it. "You're supposed to shake it."  
"I know what I'm supposed to do." Now, Yori knew that people were rude sometimes but that was just unnecessary.  
"Don't mind him. Inuyasha, sit boy." There was a necklace around his neck and it glowed an iridescent pink before pulling the dog boy face first into the ground. The others shook their heads and stepped forward, as if this was completely normal.  
"This is Sango." The woman with the boomerang smiled.  
"Pleased to meet you."  
"Likewise." Yori said shaking her hand. Kagome continued.  
"This is Shippo." The little fox boy smiled.  
"Hi."  
"Hello."  
"And this is Miroku." she said and the man with the staff grabbed Yori's hand in his.  
"Hello fairest maiden." He slid his arm around her waist and she blushed a light shade of pink.  
"Um, hi." Yori was able to cut a glance at Sango who was red faced and furious. _Uh-oh.  
_"It would be my greatest pleasure if you would do me the tremendous honor of bearing my children?" Yori paled.  
"Oh, well, I uh—" but she stopped talking when she felt his hand on her backside. Anger and embarrassment rose in her and she pulled her hand back and struck Miroku hard across the face. But Yori never knew who'd hit him first, her or Sango. All she knew was there were two red hand prints on his left and right cheeks.  
"Lecherous monk." Sango murmured under her breath  
"Well it's been nice meetin' ya. Now go home." Inuyasha said, finally off the ground.  
"What he means is; it's really not safe for you here. I'll take you back." Kagome said.  
"So, this is what's really happening when they tell us you're sick?" Yori asked as the two walked to the well.  
"Yep. But Yori, you can't tell anyone. This is a secret, okay?"  
"Okay." Yori jumped into the well and waited as Kagome came also. The two held hands, and Yori waited to see the blue light from before. But, nothing happened.  
"What the—" she started. "Why isn't it working?"  
"I don't know." The two climbed out of the well. As Yori's feet hit the ground, the wind blew. It was a light wind, a promising wind. It whipped her hair in, and then around her face. Though it was autumn, the wind was not cool. It was warm, comforting, inviting. The monk turned to her.  
"Well, there's no use dwelling on the matter. Come Yori and accompany us on our journey."


	2. The Blue Arrow

2. The Blue Arrow

"I don't know why we brought you along." Inuyasha said. The group was walking down a path in the forest as it grew darker.  
"Inuyasha, why are you being so nasty?" Shippo asked. "I like Yori."  
"I don't. All she is is another mouth to feed and person to protect. She can't even do anything." Yori had been silent the whole time during Inuyasha's rant. But as the night grew colder, her patience grew thinner. He was arrogant, rude, and above all, a complete jerk. Anger rose in Yori's chest and she had to ball her fists and bite her lip to stop from saying anything.  
"So? She hasn't done anything." Shippo continued in her defense.  
"And she won't do anything." Yori was shore that was an insult and she balled her fists tighter, her nails digging painfully into her hands. _Don't say anything. Don't say anything.  
_"Besides, what good is she if she's always going to need saving?"  
_That's it.  
_"Alright listen here you rude sun of a puppy, I didn't ask you to save me." she snapped.  
"Why you little— If I hadn't saved you, that demon would have killed you." The group had stopped moving.  
"Well since you were going to complain so much about it, why not let it kill me?"  
"Fine. Next time I will!"  
"Okay then!"  
"Alright!"  
"Fine!"  
Fine!" With that, Yori walked to the front of the group and smiled, satisfied, when she heard Kagome command him to sit.

An hour later, the group had set up camp and was eating fish around a fire. Yori had just finished hers and started to listen to the conversation.  
"But the last time, the Wind Scar wasn't able to penetrate Naraku's barrier." Miroku said.  
"Ya, so, what do we do?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha seemed very irritated.  
"There's got to be a way to make the Tessaiga stronger." And in the next moment, his eyes popped a little and then, annoyed, he hit his neck. "What the hell? Myoga, what are you doing here?" Yori furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. _Who is he talking to?  
_But when Yori looked very closely, she could see a small creature in his hand. _Is that a flea?  
_"Master Inuyasha," _It spoke!_ "If you wish to make the Tessaiga stronger, you must journey to the cave of the demon bats. It is said that their cave is protected by a very powerful barrier and in order to make Tessaiga stronger you must slay the guardian of said barrier and let Tessaiga suck its blood." Inuyasha jumped up.  
"That's all I gotta do? Alright then, let's go!"  
"Wait, wait, wait," Yori said standing up. "You're going after something called a demon bat?" Inuyasha turned his attention to her.  
"Ya."  
"And you're gonna kill it so your sword can suck its _blood_ and get _stronger_?" The whole group was staring at her. The night was quiet save for the flickering of the flame and Yori's angered heartbeat. Not only did the thought of demon bats frighten her, the idea of killing one so a sword could suck its blood was sickening to Yori. Why were they going to let him do that?  
"Ya, so what's your point?" Inuyasha said taking a step towards her.  
"That's horrible! How can you even think of killing an innocent creature for your own selfish gain?" He scoffed.  
"Right now Naraku's the only thing that matters. The life of one demon isn't even a concern." Yori balled her fists together and stared at Inuyasha's back which he had turned to her. Her body shook with disapproval and anger. It was wrong and it seemed like she was the only one who thought so. Kagome hadn't even said anything and Yori couldn't help but wonder why. What was this about anyway? Who was Naraku? His name kept popping up and he seemed to be the motivation for the group's actions. She turned to Miroku.  
"Who's Naraku?" Inuyasha twitched and all of a sudden, a dark cloud formed over the group. Yori could feel tension and hostility filling the air and turning a beautiful starry night black and cold. Everyone's face seemed to be masked in pain and hatred. And though his back was towards her, Yori could see anguish in Inuyasha's posture. She could feel the sadness emitting from his soul, his very being. She stared at Miroku.  
"Well?"  
The monk took a thoughtful sip of his drink and bowed his head before speaking.  
"Naraku is a demon who manipulates people into doing things that benefit him. He cursed my grandfather with the wind tunnel and it has been passed down from my grandfather to my father to me. I hope to kill him and rid myself of this horrible power before it grows and sucks me in." He gazed at his hand for a moment before making a fist and turning to Sango, whose hands were shaking, and continuing. "Naraku controlled Sango's younger brother, Kohaku, and killed her whole demon slayer village using him like a puppet. Now he's brought Kohaku back and uses him to fight his sister. And," he looked to Inuyasha. "He also tore Inuyasha and Kikyo apart." Yori blinked.  
"Kikyo? Who's Kikyo?" And oddly, it was Kagome who answered. But Yori could tell something was wrong. It seemed as if a shadow had engulfed Kagome's face, and her voice was colored with deep sorrow.  
"Kikyo was the protector of the Shikon Jewel. She was a priestess, a guardian to the villages, bust above all; she was Inuyasha's first love. Fifty years ago Naraku turned the two against each other in an effort to steel the jewel. It resulted in Kikyo's death and Inuyasha being pinned to a tree for fifty years." The fire was slowly dying as Kagome's words faded into the night. _Why did she tell the story the way she did? Why does she seem so sad? Does she like Inuyasha? Does she love him? I don't see how that's possible because—  
_"Wait, did you say fifty years ago?" Yori turned to Inuyasha and sensing it, he faced her. "You're over fifty years old?" He smirked at her.  
"Try two hundred." Yori's head numbed.  
"I can't believe a two hundred year old saved me from a mutant centipede." Inuyasha twitched and unsheathed his sword.  
"I look good for my age. It's the least I could say for you." He smirked again, his eyes mocking her.  
"You wanna fight?" Yori said, taking a stance.  
"You're not much of a threat you scrawny little human." Yori's temper was boiling. She rolled up her sleeves and beckoned him forward with her hands.  
"Bring it on dog face." He positioned his sword, his eyes teasing. But what was she doing? That sword could easily slice her in two. But his eyes, oh his eyes. They were like golden promises exploding in the soft white light. They seemed to speak to her, to whisper her name, to tug at her insides; pulling her very soul into the depths of anger and impatience. His soft silver hair touched his face and she thought_ what the heck? I take karate.  
_Yori sprang forward and aimed a punch at Inuyasha's face, which he easily dodged.  
"Inuyasha no! This is ridiculous!" shouted the monk. And it _was_ ridiculous, but Yori didn't care. As far as she was concerned, this whole day was ridiculous.  
Inuyasha swung his sword at her and Yori jumped back into the air. She did a hand stand to catch herself and then crouched down and tried to sweep Inuyasha off his feet with her foot. But he jumped into the air, and raised his sword.  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed. But in the second she did, Yori grabbed her bow and one of her arrows and aimed it at the still falling Inuyasha. She released the arrow and along from an odd gust of wind, a blinding yet soft light flew with the arrow. It seemed to be followed by blue sparkle-like things, and it soared towards him at a dangerous speed. Inuyasha dodged the arrow at the last possible second and it missed his head by mere centimeters, taking off only strands of hair.  
He landed on the ground and everyone stared at Yori.  
"What was that?" Kagome asked.  
"I have no clue. It looked like your sacred arrow except it was blue instead of pink." Sango said.  
"You could have killed me!" Inuyasha shouted.  
Yori scoffed. "That was the plan."  
"What was that?" Inuyasha stepped near her.  
"You heard me very well."  
"Why I oughtta—" But Kagome cut him off.  
"Inuyasha," she said sweetly. "Sit." And once again, he was pulled face first into the dirt. Yori stuck out her tongue and sat back down.  
"We must figure out what that strange light was." Miroku said.  
"What? Have you forgotten that we have to get Tessaiga stronger? We need to find Naraku before anything else!" Inuyasha said from the ground. "We don't have time to waste on this pathetic girl."  
"Pathetic girl who nearly took your head off." Shippo said. But Yori had enough.  
"So, is that how you feel?" Yori directed the question at Inuyasha. It was covered in needles but Inuyasha's answer was just as sharp.  
"Yes." he said indignantly.  
"Well, then I'm leaving." Yori said standing up.  
"What? Don't be crazy Yori, you can't survive out there." Kagome said grabbing her friend's wrist. She plead with her eyes, a helplessly panicked look that had no effect on Yori. She yanked her hand away.  
"No, I'm tired of him. If he wants me gone so badly, I'm leaving." And she turned on heel and ran. Desperate, Kagome tried to follow but before she could, Yori disappeared into what seemed to be rippling air. Despair and anxiety washed over Kagome.  
"A barrier?"


	3. Lord Sesshomaru

3. Lord Sesshomaru

Anger definitely had gotten the best of Yori. Heat had risen in her face, her hands were shaking, and her head was throbbing. That Inuyasha really pissed her off. He was so rude and impatient. He was angry all the time and rude. He had no regard for others' feelings and he was rude, very, _very__** rude. **_Even with all that, Yori knew she shouldn't have ran off the way she had. That was stupid and childish - she had no clue where she was going. She didn't even really know where she was! A godforsaken forest in the middle of who-knows-where!  
"Well, I could turn around." she said tentatively to herself. She hadn't walked that far, right?  
Making up her mind to go back, she slowly turned around. Her heart skipped a beat. Instead of the group of five sitting around dying flames as she'd expected to see, there was nothing but trees. And suddenly it was very quiet, eerily quiet. The moon became and eye, watching her every move while the trees seemed to grow as the wind wrapped itself around her. Specks along the forest became bright red and yellow and followed her as she walked.  
She shivered as the night grabbed hold of her and fright began to nestle itself in her heart. Childhood fears of beasts in the closet and monsters under the bed resurfaced. Things slithered among the trees and Yori felt them as they walked with her. Her footsteps soon became the only sound in her ears, along with her beating heart, both echoing in the darkness that enveloped her like a blanket. Dread washed over her. She never should have left. She was going to die here. A demon would come and rip out her throat. It would eat her alive, as she screamed for someone to save her. And she would die alone, alone and terrified. No one would know. Kagome wouldn't know, the group wouldn't know. Oh my god, her mom wouldn't know. Her whole family didn't even know where she was. She would never see them again. She would never hug her mother again, never rustle her little sister's hair again, she would never kiss her father goodbye, and she would never—  
A sharp cry in the night pierced her ears and cut through her thoughts, stopping the depression from overtaking her.  
"Who… That sounded like a little girl. There's a little girl alone in the woods?" She stopped walking and listened. She listened hard. Had she imagined the noise? Was it just her fear slowly driving her insane?  
"Help me!" No. No, she wasn't insane. It was a little girl, and she needed help. So on impulse, Yori began to run. She ran towards the sound of the little girl's cries. _I have to help her. _Determination replaced the fear in Yori's heart and she ran faster, sprinting down the forest's path. Soon she came to a river and a sudden halt when her eyes rested on the scene awaiting her.  
There was a large demon standing by the river bank. It was taller than a man and had almost the same bodily make up, except it had another arm protruding grotesquely out of its chest. It wore tattered rags and it had two horns sticking out from the top of its head. And when it sensed the intruder and turned, Yori saw the owner of the cries for help.  
The demon held by the arms a young girl who seemed to be about eight. She wore a small, yellow and orange checkered dress with a green bow around her waist. She had a ponytail on the side of her head and she was trying desperately to escape. Yori looked around and noticed a small pile of wood and a canteen of water and she pieced the story together. And under all of the returning fear, adrenaline pulsed in her veins along with her hot blood which was coated in anger. She stood straight, crossed her arms, and tsked.  
"So, let me get this straight. This little girl ventured into the woods to collect supplies. She found a river and thought she'd get some water and you pop out of no where and terrify her. So," she picked up a rock and tossed it up and down in the air. "Please tell me what gives you the right to try and kill her." The demon's eyes were charcoal black and its mouth was covered in slime. But it still spoke in a low, raspy hiss.  
"This girl has trespassed on my river. For that she must die. I will savor the taste of her bones as I devour her." It started to walk slowly towards Yori. She didn't move.  
"Well, I'm trespassing too. And there's no way in hell you're gonna eat me." She gripped the rock. "Put her _down_!" And she chucked it at the demon. The rock hit it straight in the forehead and as a result, it dropped the girl who fell to her knees. Yori rolled up her sleeves again.  
The demon grew angry and ran towards her. But she noticed the strange blue light surrounding the rock still plastered to its forehead. Maybe if she could just… She jumped into the air as it neared her and landed a kick straight to the rock. It sunk into the demon's forehead and Yori watched, perplexed, as it staggered back and clawed at its forehead, trying to pull out the rock that had already disappeared. It screamed and flared its arms out and Yori realized what was going to happen. She ran towards the little girl and held her to her chest, shielding her just as the demon's insides glowed the blue light and it exploded. Chunks flew everywhere, some hitting Yori in the back and making her stomach turn. But then they all seemed to dissolved, and there was no evidence of there having been a river demon in the first place. _And I can't take care of myself? Ha.  
_She released the girl.  
"Are you alright?" she asked, looking the little girl over. The little girl nodded her head. She seemed really shaken, but other than that she was fine. There were purplish marks on her neck, but that was about it. Her hair was in complete disorder and her face was bone white. She looked so much like Yori's younger sister Ami that it was unbelievable. She had the same innocent face, the same pretty black hair, and she scrunched up her face the same way when she was about to cry. Yori hugged her.  
"Oh, you must have been so scared." she said. She buried her head in the little girl's hair. She smelled like strawberries, just like Ami. She missed her so much already. Yori opened her eyes and saw a flash of white. _What was—  
_Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt herself being violently lifted into the air by her neck. She could still breathe, though only barely, and panic gripped her heart. She stared at the person who held her captive.  
He had purple lines on his face and wore a long, mostly white, kimono. He held her by his left hand and his right hand was aimed by his face, poised to strike. His nails seemed to be glowing green and little sparks surrounded them, but the soft light from it illuminated his face made his almost floor length silver hair stand out. His bangs touched his face softly almost and brushed his narrowed eyes, which held a dangerous look. They were a dim gold but burning with a definate quieted fury. Something about those eyes were familiar and at the same, time very alien to Yori. He didn't seem to be staring _at_ her, his eyes didn't even trace over her whole body. He just stared at her eyes, stared into her eyes, burning holes through her and daring her to try and escape. He would kill her right then and there. She gasped. _He looks like Inuyasha! Is he a demon too?  
_"Rin," He spoke to the little girl, Yori knew, although he didn't avert his stare. But there was something about the way he spoke. His voice was steady and sharp, demanding and seemingly very addictive. Her eyes popped a little when she realized that she wished to hear more of his voice. "What happened?" And as the words left his mouth, he tightened his grip around her neck. Her air began wane as his nails dug painfully into her skin. Yori's vision began to spot. The small child, Rin, seemed to be brought back into reality and she stood up.  
"No Lord Sesshomaru! I was gathering food and wood and water when a river demon attacked me. She saved me. Please don't hurt her." she sounded as if she was pleading. The man, this Lord Sesshomaru, glanced at her for a moment, as if the gauge the honesty of her story, and then released Yori.  
She fell to her knees and coughed violently. She could taste blood in the back of her throat and she touched her neck gingerly, and brought her hands back to her face to examine. Red stained her fingers and she looked up.  
He was still standing in front of her, towering over her, and watching her with semi interest and complete disdain. Then he turned and begun to walk away.  
"Are you coming Rin?" he asked as he walked.  
"My Lord," she started tentatively. "May she come too?" He stopped walking. The question was odd enough, and Yori even had to look at the small child. The wind blew, rustling the leaves and tossing them into the air. His hair blew with the direction of it and the leaves caressed the ends of his hair. Yori's eyes widened.  
"I take no pity on humans. But since you saved the girl, you may come if you wish." The wind stopped blowing and he continued to walk. Rin smiled and looked over at Yori. Her smile was big and bright and it touched Yori's heart. She helped her up and then grabbed her hand.  
"Thank you for saving me. What's your name?" Yori blinked. The child was so friendly.  
"Yori." They started walking together.  
"Hi, I'm Rin. And that's Lord Sesshomaru." she said pointing to the one they were following. "And Master Jaken and Ah-Un are back at camp. You'll love it." But Yori didn't hear anything after his name.  
"Se- Sesshomaru?"  
"Mh-hmm." Rin said. But Yori was stuck in her own fascination with this stranger.  
"Lord Sesshomaru." She liked the sound of it, as each syllable rolled off her tongue and into the depths of the mysteries of the night.  
_Sesshomaru._


	4. Encounter

4. Encounter

_What a shame._ Yori thought sadly as she let her feet dangle in the water of a river. She touched the surface lightly, watched uninterestedly as the ripples dispersed, and sighed heavily. She had to admit, life with Lord Sesshomaru was not as exciting as she'd hoped it would be. He didn't seem interested in his followers at all. He was barely even around! And every time she asked where he was headed, he'd stop walking for a moment, toss her a warning glare, and then continue leaving. Or just ignore her completely. And the little imp wasn't much help either.  
"Why must you know where Lord Sesshomaru is going? It is not your place to ask such things you foolish girl!" he'd say and then stick up his nose and turn his back to her.  
She should've stayed with Inuyasha. At least fighting with him had been fun, or dreadfully close to it. There was really nothing to do, she was just here.  
Well, Rin was alright. She was a sweet girl who always had a smile on her face, no matter how badly Master Jaken spoke to her. And why should she have to refer to him as _'Master Jaken'_? She wasn't a child; she was a teenager, practically an adult. She should be able to just call him Jaken. But besides the age factor, she had no respect for the little annoyance. His very existence was enough to make her wanna knock him out to a point where he'd never wake up. That would be nice. She wouldn't have to hear his little whining voice or any of his insults or 'Lord Sesshomaru' this, and 'Lord Sesshomaru' that. Well now that she thought of it, there was some pleasure in staying here. She'd only been traveling with the trio (to god-knows-where) for four days. But in those four days, she'd seen Jaken hit upside the head and stepped on enough times for her to burst out laughing whenever she thought about it.  
And then there was Lord Sesshomaru. She'd only call him 'Lord' one, because she _did_ in fact respect him and two, because he'd probably kill her if she didn't. But he was such a mystery. She'd watch him in her faked sleep as he stood tall and gazed at the night sky. He never turned around, he didn't even move, and he was so intent with whatever he was thinking that it was inspiring. She'd helplessly said his name at random times, still fascinated with its sound. And definitely above all the rest; he was _sexy_. Really, really, _really_ sexy.  
She sighed again.  
"What's the matter Yori?" came a sweet voice. Yori looked down and to notice Rin sitting by her side.  
"Huh? Rin, when did you get there?" The child just smiled, awaiting an answer and Yori pursed her lips. "Nothing's wrong. I guess I'm just at little upset."  
"Oh really? About what?" she asked.  
"It's just, when I agreed to come with you I was hoping for something a little bit more exciting. I was hoping that I would be able to do a lot more stuff. I was hoping I would get to see Lord Sesshomaru more often." Oops. That part was not supposed to come out. She looked to Rin for a reaction. She looked confused.  
"What do you mean?" Yori began to blush.  
"Well it's just… four days ago when I met you two, when I saw Lord Sesshomaru, there was just something about him. I mean I know he was about to kill me and all, but he grabbed a hold of my interest. I watched him carefully, trying to figure him out. He's so perplexing, acting one way in the day and another in the night." she finished looking down.  
"Well, I can't help you there. But you have to know that if you're loyal to Lord Sesshomaru, he'll never abandon you. He'll always give you the choice to leave or stay, you just have to make the final decision." She smiled again.  
"Rin," Yori turned and to her surprise, Sesshomaru was standing directly behind them. She stared at him wide-eyed. How long had he been standing there? Did he hear what she said? Sesshomaru's eyes rested on Yori as he spoke. "Rin, there is a village nearby. I want you to go and collect supplies."  
Rind stood up and spoke in a sing-song voice. "Yes my Lord." Yori stood up too and met Sesshomaru's gaze. She could find no emotion in them, no sign of what he was thinking.  
"And Rin, take the girl with you." The child nodded her head and grabbed Yori's hand. As she was pulled past Sesshomaru, she noted his eyes following her until she was out of his vision. _What was that? Distrust perhaps?  
_Yori shrugged and walked with Rin down a path in the forest to the village.

It wasn't long before little straw huts made their way into Yori's vision. Aw_, how cute. Wait a minute, what's that?_ When she looked a little closer, there were spots of black rising over the houses. _It looks like… smoke! Om my god, something's on fire!_ She stopped walking and looked down at Rin who apparently hadn't noticed the smoke.  
"Rin, I need you to return to camp. And if Lord Sesshomaru asks, tell him I told you to go back. Okay?" Confusion and fear wrote itself across Rin's face.  
"Why? What's the matter?"  
"I don't know but something's wrong. I'm not sure if you can see it but there are black clouds rising over the houses. And do you smell that?" The heavy scent of burning wood and straw ad penetrated her nose. "That's smoke. It means something's on fire. It's not safe for you down there." Rin nodded and Yori hugged her and began to run.  
"Wait Yori! What are you doing?" Rin shouted after her.  
"I'm gonna go see if I can help them!" Yori called over her shoulder and continued to run. When she watched Rin leave and was sure she was gone, Yori focused all of her attention on the burning village.  
When she finally made it there, everything was in chaos. People were running and screaming their heads off. She saw mother's shielding their babies and fathers trying to keep the family together. Houses were aflame and smoke was pouring into the sky, turning it black and making it difficult to breathe. Bodies were strewn all of the ground and the stench of blood filled their air, mixing nauseatingly with the smell of the smoke. Yori was breathing hard when she looked up and saw the source of the fires and dead bodies.  
Hovering just above the village was a flying demon. Its head was green and it looked almost like a giant fly. Except it breathed fire and its eyes were like glass bulbs. She looked around.  
The villagers were trying to fend off the demon. She saw a small group of men with an assortment of weapons; harpoons, spears, arrows, and sword all pointed at the flying thing. At the front of their group was an old woman. She herself had a bow and arrow poised to fire at the beast. And she seemed to be the one calling the shots.  
"Ready! Fire!" she shouted. The men let out screams and threw their weapons at the beast. It cried out but in more of annoyance than anything. The weapons bounced off of the thing as if they were just pieces of Styrofoam. Yori ran towards them just as the demon swept down and unleashed a breath a fire. The heat stroked her cheek but the flames never touched her. She grabbed a bow and arrow from a fallen villager and aimed it at the demon. She released the arrow and it too bounced harmlessly off of the demon but it did make its attention turn on her.  
_What? Why didn't it work? _It zoomed towards her and she dropped to the ground. _What am I doing different now from the other times?_ And then it hit her. Every time the blue light had shown up, she had not been afraid. She had been angry, but never afraid. So she stood up once again and aimed another arrow. This time she cleared and forced her fear to dissipate. All of the screams, shouts, and the sound of the flames cackling died. She heard nothing but her own thoughts and her heartbeat. And to her immense surprise, she could actually feel the demon's heartbeat. And then, a small pink light appeared on the demon's body. It shone softly but strongly in the demon's stomach. _Why hasn't anyone tried aiming there? Can they even see it? It's worth a shot. _The demon raced towards her again and she held her stance.  
"What are ye doing child? Run!" The old woman's warning fell on death ears. Yori freed the now blue arrow and it hit the small spark of pink. The demon let out a wail and then it dissolved into thin air. All of the fires disappeared and the people seemed to calm considerably. But Yori didn't notice any of that. The first thing that caught her attention was a pink sparkle falling to the ground. _What is that?  
_Yori walked over to where it fell and picked it up. It was small, diamond shaped, and it gave off a huge positive and powerful energy. _It looks like a shard. Wait, that first demon. It said "give me the sacred jewel shard". Is this a sacred jewel shard? I'd better save it; maybe Kagome will want it if I see her.  
_Yori didn't have any pockets so she slipped it into her bra for now. When she turned around, the old woman was staring at her.  
"I have never seen a person fire a scared arrow save for my sister and young Kagome, but even theirs had not been blue. Who are ye child? Perhaps a friend of Kagome's for you wear the same clothing?" Yori blinked. She was quick.  
"Yes I'm a friend of Kagome's. Do you know her?" she asked politely.  
"Ay, she and Inuyasha are acquaintances of mine."  
"Inuyasha? You know him too?" Yori asked surprised.  
"Yes. But first come child, your clothes are burned and ripped. Let us clean you up and we shall talk." Yori nodded and the woman led her into one of the huts. There, she sat her down in the middle of the room and told her to undress. As she did, they begun to talk.  
"Do they need help?" Yori asked referring to the villagers who were cleaning up.  
"Worry not, they shall be fine." the woman said filling a cup with water. Yori eyed her as she did and concluded there was more to this lady than she was letting on.  
"My name is Yori. And yours?" she asked.  
"I am Kaede. I am the protector of this village." she said handing Yori the water. Yori drank the water and nodded her thanks to Kaede. The old woman smiled and walked over to a small crate and begun to dig in it.  
"Ye asked how it was I knew Inuyasha. He was once in love with my older sister Kikyo." Yori almost choked on her water. Was everyone interconnected in this world?  
"Oh. That's right, Kikyo passed away around fifty years ago didn't she? I'm sorry." Yori said.  
"Ay, death is owed no apology. Perhaps it is indeed life that we should apologize for." Yori crinkled her eyebrows together. She saw that Kaede was the type of person who loved to speak in riddles. She kept quiet and waited for an explanation. "My sister did indeed die fifty years ago. But she was brought back to life and now roams this earth without a soil. She walks as naught but grave yard soil, bones, and dirt. And at one time, she was thirsty for revenge on Inuyasha for killing her. That was until—" Yori stopped her there.  
"Let me guess, she found out it was Naraku and now she's after him because of it." Kaede smiled.  
"Ye are sharp, but only half correct. Kikyo seeks Naraku for she wishes to keep the Shikon Jewel pure and safe from evil, as was her job as a sacred priestess." Yori blinked, now confused.  
"Shikon Jewel?"  
"The Shikon Jewel, otherwise known as the Jewel of Four Souls is a sacred object that can increase power beyond tenfold. Naraku wishes to use the jewel to become the most powerful demon in the world. When my sister was born, she was not the only one who held the ability to protect the Shikon Jewel. Not many know this, but my sister was a twin. Born on the same day was the identical Kiesu who also held the ability to protect the jewel." Kaede finished her shuffling and came over to Yori with folded clothes in hand.  
"One day when they were of the age of ten, a demon raid took place. One of the beasts was able to take Kiesu captive and she was never seen again. These were clothes specially made for her to wear once she reached a certain age and completed her training." Kaede unfolded a two piece outfit. The top was white with long sleeves and the pants were a solid blue and almost reached the floor. Yori put the clothes on and slipped on some sandals also. She turned to Kaede.  
"Hold on, earlier you said my arrow was sacred just like Kikyo's and Kagome's. Kagome has the ability to fire a sacred arrow?" she asked. Kaede nodded her head.  
"Kagome is the reincarnation of my sister. They both share the same abilities, firing sacred arrows and sensing sacred jewel shards." Yori's eyes widened.  
"You said I could do the same except my arrow was blue. And I can also sense sacred jewels shards. There was one in that demon's stomach, that's how I knew where to hit it. Kaede, what does this mean?" Kaede shook her head.  
"I have no idea child. But if you truly wish to know, visit the Sacred Lands in the south and speak with the High Priestess.  
She will know. And for your journely, take this bow and these arrows. They once belonged to Kiesu, they should be of some use." Yori nodded and gave Kaede her thanks. But before she could set a foot outside of the small hut, a thought crossed her mind.  
"Lady Kaede, sorry if I'm asking too much but I need some supplies." She smiled shyly. In a couple minutes though, she walked out of the hut smiling and calling goodbye to Kaede with arms full of necessary supplies. But her smile was wiped away when she noticed the setting sun. She was very late, and with fear rekindling in her heart, she headed back to camp.


	5. Falling

5. Falling

Yori stumbling into camp, still breathing hard from her run from the village. She looked around. Rin, Ah-Un, and Jaken were huddled around a burning fire. Night had set in but Yori didn't see Sesshomaru. A soft wind tickled the back of her neck and she shivered. What was that feeling in the air? And what was up with the group? Rin had fear plastered on her face, an expression that had obviously set in and had not yet left. Jaken seemed almost giddy but it was very apparent that he was trying to choose between that and perhaps worry. Ah-Un was sleeping.  
"I'm so sorry—" she stooped in mid sentence when she sensed a presence behind her. Terror struck her bones and she held tight to her supplies. But she knew she had to turn around.  
Sesshomaru was standing behind her, and when she turned he just stared at her. She couldn't read his expression but she could tell he was mad. No, mad was an understatement, he was furious. He took a step closer and she took a step back, her supplies falling from her arms. He stopped his advancement on her, but for a moment. And in a flash, he'd brought his hand across her face in a powerful slap. Pain shot throughout Yori's face and caused her head to throb as she fell to her knees.  
Sesshomaru crouched down to her level and when she realized this, she backed up with her hands. He came in closer; placing his hands on the ground on either side of her waist and placing his face an inch away from hers. She sat frozen, terrified.  
"Where were you?" he asked slowly, demanding. She began to stutter.  
"I, I was in the village. I went with Rin to collect supplies as you said. But— I saw smoke over the village and I told Rin to come back to camp—"  
"And why would you tell her something like that? She could have gotten into trouble on her own." He spoke so menacingly that Yori had to fight the urge to cry. He leaned in close enough to where she could feel his breath touch her face.  
"I just, I just thought it would be safer for her. There, there was a demon attacking and I, I stayed to help the villagers fight it. I'm sorry Lord Sesshomaru; I shouldn't have left her alone. But, but, I got the supplies like you asked— I'm sorry." The last part she whispered as she failed to sustain her tears. She closed her eyes tight and two of them fell down her cheeks as she braced herself for the possibility of another hit. Instead, she felt his weight lifting off of her as he stood up. He turned his back to her and spoke in an emotionless tone.  
"Get off the ground and clean your face. When you have done so, I want to speak with you in the forest." Yori got on her knees, bowed, and responded "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru." Then he was gone.  
Yori stood up and wiped her face. She looked to Rin who was shaking and had her hands covering her eyes. She could tell Rin was crying. _She really is a sweet child._ Yori took a deep breath and then sighed. Fear still resided in her body; she still trembled as it consumed her. Sesshomaru had made some sort of decision but about what was a mystery to Yori. But she gathered all of the courage she could and retraced Sesshomaru's footsteps into the woods.  
She knew as she walked that there was a very high possibility that she was about to die. She'd never seen Sesshomaru so angry, especially at her. In fact he had never expressed anger towards her, only mild dislike and the fact that she annoyed him for whatever reason. Yori started to twiddle with her fingers. _I did right, didn't I? I mean, if I had taken Rin along, she could have gotten seriously hurt. But if I had walked back to camp with her, he wouldn't've let me come. Maybe I should just follow directions. Oh, it doesn't matter. Lord Sesshomaru will probably kill me as soon as I get there. If I had just—  
_Her foot snagged a raised root, and stumbling forward, she lost her balance. She'd already braced herself for the feel of the forest floor, so she was immensely surprised when she felt herself being steadied by strong arms. She blushed and looked up. Sesshomaru was staring down at her intently. She gasped and backed off of him, tripping once more and this time landing on her butt. She winced in pain before looking up again. Sesshomaru was staring at her. She averted her gaze and stood up. There was an awkward silence hanging in the air, an uneasy tension that wouldn't dissipate. Yori gazed at her feet but felt the need to look up as the breeze tangled itself in her hair. She noticed as Sesshomaru turned his back to her.  
"What are they?" he asked. The question not only confused Yori, but it took her aback. He asked her a question? Okay, weird.  
"What are what?"  
"The water on your face. When you finished speaking, water fell from your eyes. What are they?" Yori was surprised.  
"Tears, my Lord?" He didn't respond. "When water falls from your eyes, it is called tears. And the action of letting those tears fall is called crying."  
"Yes. And when do you cry?"  
"Well, you cry when an emotion is strong enough to overpower your heart. That is to say, it's stronger than all of your other emotions." There was a long pause. Then Sesshomaru turned around and faced Yori. The wind blew hard and swept his hair to the side. The moon sat behind him and its glow illuminate one side of his face and kept the other shaded. His silver hair gleamed in the soft white and his eyes almost sparkled and Yori's heartbeat sped up considerably. The gold seemed to be trapped in his eyes; it seemed to melt into pools of light. The soft white mixed with the golden brown and created a harmony so powerful that Yori was almost blown off her feet. He stepped closer to her.  
"And what were you feeling when you cried?" Her answer was simple.  
"Fear."  
"Why?" He took another step closer.  
"I thought you would kill me." He stopped moving when there was an inch of space between the two. She didn't look at him and she flinched a little when his hands made contact with her skin as he brushed strands of hair behind her ear. She blushed.  
"And what are you feeling now?" he asked.  
"Fear."  
"Why?" She looked up at him and tried to analyze her feelings. What did she feel? How did she feel about Sesshomaru? He was attractive, protective when he wanted to be, strong, and by the way he'd moved her hair, gentle also. But he'd also hit her. And her mother taught her that if a man ever hits you, leave them. Maybe she was a fool for it, but she wasn't listening to her mother.  
"Because—" She was cut off by a scream. A little girl's scream. Rin's scream. Sesshomaru rushed towards the sound but before he could get far, the wind picked up. Yori knew that these were not natural winds; she could feel it deep within her. She turned her head to see a woman on a giant— Wait, what _was_ that? A feather? Oh. My. God.  
Before Yori could run, the woman jumped off the feather and landed behind Yori, restraining her arms and holding a fan to her neck. Under normal circumstances, Yori would have struggled. But she could see the blades hidden within the fan. Or more so, she could feel them.  
"Kagura," Sesshomaru said, lacing hate throughout his voice.  
"Ah Sesshomaru, we meet again. And every time I see you, you seem to have another companion. I would think you know better than anyone that mortals only cause trouble." She smiled. Sesshomaru didn't respond.  
Just then, Rin let out another piercing scream.  
"It looks like you've got a choice to make; this one," Kagura pressed the blade harder to Yori's throat, drawing warm blood. It slid down Yori's neck and soaked the edge of her shirt. She bit her lip. "Or the little girl?" Rin screamed again. Seconds seemed to stretch into hours as Sesshomaru stood silently. Rin screams pierced the night and Yori's blood slid down her neck and she tasted it in her mouth as she continued to bite her lip to stop from crying out. Still, Sesshomaru stood.  
"Which will it be Sesshomaru, I'm waiting." He narrowed his eyes at Kagura and then… he turned and ran in the other direction towards Rin.  
Kagura smiled. She pulled Yori onto the giant feather and the thing lifted into the air. "If you want her back, follow the Saimyoushou." Kagura called. And then she turned to Yori. "And you, it's time for you to sleep." And as if a spell was cast, Yori's eyes became heavy and within moments, she fell unconscious.

_Where am I? _The question rang about her head as she slowly opened her eyes. She was in a dimly lit room. There was a small fire burning near the door and a mat on the floor for sleeping. The walls were painted black and there was a door made out of thin paper, and behind it, she could see the shadow outline of a person. She looked to her left, and there was Kagura. She seemed to be asleep, her head rested on the wall of the small room and her fan hanging limply in her hand.  
"You must be wondering where you are right now." Yori rubbed her eyes. This was not happening. The shadow beyond the door rose.  
"Do you mind telling me where?" she said a little snappily.  
"You might want to rid yourself of that attitude. You are only here as a hostage and nothing more. I have no problem with killing you." She gasped. This man's voice was cold, menacing. It sent ice sickles down her spine and turned her fingers numb. "You are here to lure Lord Sesshomaru. He is a great demon and his sword, the Tokijin, will be of use to me. I will absorb its demonic strength and add it to my own and it will become a part of my new body." He chuckled. "Well, this information does you no good either way." He was turning to leave when Yori stood up.  
"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you. See, the thing you don't understand is the Lord Sesshomaru will come for me. I know he will, though he rescued Rin first." Sadness had crept into Yori's words, changing her smug tone to a bitter one. She was shocked at herself. It was wrong for her to feel bitter towards Rin. She was a child, her safety came first.  
"Why do you speak so coldly? Why do you feel resentment towards the child? Is it because Sesshomaru went for her first, instead of you who was right there in front of him? So what could you really mean to him if he turned his back on you?" Yori was silent. He _had_ chose Rin over her, but that didn't matter. He would come for her, just like Rin said. He wouldn't abandon her… right?  
"Now here's the thing you don't understand. I've heard a lot about you. Demons have been talking non stop about another girl from the other side of the well. You have to ability to fire a sacred arrow, just like Kikyo and her reincarnation. That also means you can sense the sacred jewel shards." He chuckled again, speeding up Yori's heartbeat. The door slowly opened and a man stepped in. He had long, wavy black hair held in a high ponytail. His bangs were separated, and stands touched his face. The rest fell to his waist, the very bottom of his bare torso. He wore white material around his waist; it looked somewhat like a suit, like he could pull it up and hide the rest of his body. His eyes were a natural red surrounding small black pupils and they were filled with smug triumph. He smiled, a grin that painted his face with malevolence and Yori took an involuntary step backwards. He back hit the wall and she began to tremble. There was just something about this man that made her want to run and hide. His very presence was the essence of evil; the feeling sunk into her pores and made her skin feel filthy. He stepped towards her and she saw in his hand a knife. And when he was close enough, he touched the knife to her cheek  
"Rather or not Sesshomaru decides to come, I can still use you. You will remain with me and find the sacred jewel shards. And after I have found them all, you will die." He brought the knife down slowly, drawing blood from her cheek. Yori's mind was racing. _What? He captured me just to get to Lord Sesshomaru? And a new body, what is he talking about? And why does he want strength? Why does he want the jewel shards? What reason could he possibly have for— _Her breath caught in her throat.  
"Naraku?"  
"You're a smart girl. It's too bad that won't help you." And then he disappeared, the door sliding shut behind him, the knife off her face, and her blood still trickling to the ground. Her knees buckled and she slid down the wall, hanging her head. Naraku was right; Lord Sesshomaru wouldn't come for her. _He doesn't care about humans, all except Rin. He won't come for me; I know because of the way he looked when Kagura offered him the choice._ Tears begun to slid down her cheeks. _I should never have gone into the forest with him. That was my perfect opportunity to leave and I blew it. Now I'm going to die, alone, screaming for Lord Sesshomaru to help me. Though I know he never will.  
_"What're you crying for?" Yori looked up and stared at Kagura who still seemed to be asleep. She'd almost forgotten she was there. Her lips moved slightly as she spoke. "I asked you a question."  
"And of course I'm supposed to answer." Kagura tightened her grip on her fan warningly. Yori wasn't afraid of her, but she decided to talk to her anyway. Maybe having a conversation with another woman might help. "It's nothing."  
"It's gotta be something or else you wouldn't be crying." Good point.  
"Well, it's just what Naraku said. Lord Sesshomaru won't come for me. He only really cares about Rin." Kagura sighed.  
"Naraku has tried this before, though the first time he failed. We abducted the little girl but Kohaku let her go free. She never seemed to lose faith in Sesshomaru." Yori looked down again.  
"She can't loose faith in him. Rin is a child and Lord Sesshomaru is all she has."  
"And you? Who do you have?" Yori looked up again. Now Kagura was standing besides her, looking down at her like a stern mother.  
"I don't know." Kagura hit Yori's head with her fan.  
"Ow!" she rubbed the abused spot on her head.  
"You're an idiot, you know that?"  
"What do you—" Kagura hit her again and then sighed. She sat down next to Yori and looked at the door as she spoke.  
"I watched you two before I captured you. I saw the way he spoke to you, looked at you, the way he brushed your hair behind your ear. He was so gentle, so slow and he spoke so softly. He wanted to be close to you, I could tell. And I saw the way you were with him. You seemed to be enraptured by him, so entranced by everything about him. You do have him, more than you know." She sighed and then looked at Yori. "You're lucky." Yori blinked.  
"How so?"  
"Like I said, you have him. He notices you and he might even trust you." Yori's eyes widened.  
"Don't tell me, you love Naraku?" Kagura laughed, a sharp sound that cut through the darkness.  
"No, I don't love him. Naraku created me, it doesn't seem right to. But I do have some feelings for him… He doesn't trust me, because I wish to be free. I took you instead of the child because I knew Sesshomaru would go to her first. And I knew that he would come for you, and when he does, he'll kill Naraku." She looked back to the door.  
"And how do you feel about that?" Yori asked, her tears completely gone now. Kagura was very interesting, and Yori couldn't figure out if she loved Naraku or not.  
"I'm not entirely sure. Naraku holds my heart in his hands, literally. He could kill me at any moment… I want to stay with Naraku for certain reasons, but I want my liberty. I've noticed that you're like me kid. We move with the wind, we have to be free." Yori thought about that. What did it mean? What did Yori have to be free from? Nothing was holding her down, right? Yori leaned her head on Kagura's shoulder and she felt her tense, and then relax. But in the next moment, Kagura stood up, gripped her fan and then grabbed Yori by the shoulder. Kagura pulled her to the door.  
"What are you doing?" Yori was confused. But Kagura didn't answer her.  
"Let me apologize in advance for anything that might happen. I like you kid, but I gotta do my job." And she shoved her out of the room and into an open hallway. Yori heard the apology, but she saw the look in Kagura's eyes, just like Naraku's, as she opened her fan and raised it.  
"Run." She waved her fan and white lights seemed to cut hurling at Yori. She knew better than to think they wouldn't hurt her, they were blades and they would rip her apart. She turned on her heel and dodged the blades as she ran. Yori rounded a corner and avoided a gust of wind. She had no clue where she was going, she just ran. Kagura's laughter filled the air behind her just as Yori saw huge doors.  
"Dance of Winds!" Yori turned and saw a huge wave of wind coming towards her. It pushed her through the closed doors and into a courtyard. She landed hard on her stomach and wheezed for Kagura had knocked the wind out of her. She tried to get up, supporting herself on her forearms. She looked up. There, in the center of the courtyard and looking like something straight out of hell, was Naraku. And standing in front of him was Sesshomaru.  
"He, he came for me?" she said to herself, as her heart swelled in her chest. A smile almost made its way to her face, but then she jumped up when she remembered Kagura was right behind her. But it was too late; one of the blades just got her. Pain exploded in her side as the blade dug into her flesh, leaving a deep wound and Yori barely standing, holding the bleeding wound, breathing hard. She could tell Sesshomaru could smell her blood and he glanced at her, but only for a moment. But that moment was enough for her.  
"Ah Lord Sesshomaru, how nice of you to visit." Naraku was saying.  
"This is no visit. I came for the girl. Give her to me or I will give in the urge to kill you." He said drawing his sword.  
"We all want something, don't me. The girl will stay and find sacred jewel shards for me. I want that sword, and you will give it to me." Naraku turned towards a shack off in the corner and beckoned something forward with two fingers. The small shack rattled, noises unimaginable coming from its wooden walls. And then, the doors burst open. Demons of all shapes and sizes cam rushing out and headed straight for Sesshomaru. He turned his attention from Naraku and focused on the demons. That was not good, Yori could see Naraku's face and she could feel his intentions. She had to do something, but what? A rock would not be enough this time.  
"Yori!" _What— who is that? Who's calling me?_ "Yori, take this!" Yori looked up and the bow and arrows Kaede had given her were falling to the earth. Little Rin was on Ah-Un and flying by with a worried look on her face. "Help Lord Sesshomaru!" She nodded and caught her things. But, she winced in immense pain from the wound in her side. But that didn't matter now; she could see Naraku coming up behind Sesshomaru. With blood stained hands, she aimed her arrow. There was no definite mark and she did the best she could as her vision began to spot. She was loosing too much blood.  
She released the arrow.  
It soared toward Naraku and hit him in the center of his body. And slowly but surely, his body began to dissolve. She aimed another arrow, but this time at the castle. _Find Kagura's heart. If you're a sacred arrow, you can purify it right? Find it and free her. _She spoke the directions in her head and released the second arrow. It zoomed around the castle followed by the blue light and disappeared. She fell to her knees and looked at Naraku. His body was gone but his neck and head were still intact. And with a look a pure hatred, hr vanished into the night.  
With her last ounce of strength, Yori looked to the now fading demons and her Lord. His face was momentarily overtaken by surprise. Had she really just saved him?


	6. Dreams

6. Dreams

"Yori?" Some one was calling her. Yori opened her eyes and slowly looked around her. She was lying on the bare ground and there was a fire burning brightly in front of her. She tried to sit up, but as soon as she moved, she got immediate complaints from her side. She looked down at it. It was no longer bleeding, but wrapped in bright white cloth that gave off the soft scent of flowers. Yori sat up and grabbed her head which felt like something was beating it like a drum.  
"Yori!" _Oh please Rin, don't scream.  
_"Hey Rin." she said softly. The child threw her arms around Yori's neck and hugged her tightly.  
"I was so worried. I thought you would die. That dirty Kagura, I hope Lord Sesshomaru finds her and rips her evil heart out." Yori smiled softly and looked at Rin.  
"You shouldn't wish things like that on people Rin, it's not very nice." She looked down.  
"Well, she hurt you." Yori patted her on the head.  
"I know but I'm okay. And look at you; you were so brave bringing me my bow and arrows." she said remembering how the young girl had ridden Ah-Un and delivered her weapons.  
"I thought you might have needed them." Rin said smiling.  
"I did. And thank you for dressing my wounds." The small child looked perplexed.  
"I didn't dress your wounds, I don't know how to. Lord Sesshomaru did." It was Yori's turn to be confused.  
"He did?" Rin opened her mouth to speak, but instead an annoying voice found its way to Yori's ears. Jaken had been sitting on a log, facing the fire, and it was he who answered Yori's question.  
"Yes, he did. After you fell unconscious and were of no further use, Lord Sesshomaru picked you up and carried you back to our camp and he made me carry your useless weapons. When we arrived, he dressed your wounds and laid you down so you could rest." he said.  
"Alright, but where is he. And don't you tell me 'it is not your place to ask such things you foolish girl!' like you usually do." Jaken visibly flinched.  
"Well your filthy human blood stained Lord Sesshomaru's clothing as he carried you. So he went to find a place to wash them off, if you must know." Yori stood up.  
"Which way did he go? I would like to properly thank him for bandaging my wounds." she brushed her bloodstained clothes off and looked at Jaken's turned back. He pointed to the left. She started to walk off and then stopped and looked back.  
"Thank you Master Jaken." she said.  
"Do not thank me girl. I only did what I've done because Lord Sesshomaru asked me to." He began to mumble. "I honestly don't understand why he carries two human girls around with him. They're so useless and they get in the way of everything. And above all else, they cause me more stress than I've ever had in my life. Oh Lord Sesshomaru, why?" Yori smiled a crooked smile. Now here she was trying to make peace with the little imp by showing her gratitude. And what did he do? Instead of accepting it, he mumbled and grumbled about his apparent discomfort. Yori's temper flared, just a little, and she grabbed a rock. Not giving it a second thought, she hurled it at the little green thing. The rock struck him in the back of the head and knocked him off the log. Yori walked into the forest without a second glance at his twitching form.  
"How far do I have to walk?" she wondered aloud. The forest seemed thicker at night, the trees bending together and tricking her eyes. Oh man, she did _not_ like being in the forest alone, especially at night. It really sent shivers up and down her spine, knowing that demons lurked everywhere. And she left her arrows at camp. _Stupid, stupid, stupid._ Yori mentally kicked herself. Now how was she supposed to defend herself if something happened? But her thoughts were cast aside when she felt a warm sensation on her skin. It was as if wet air had wrapped itself around her, like when she took a bath, or when she went to the spa, or was simply around hot water. She peered through the trees and saw a pool of blue. Steam rose and drifted on the top of the water and spray from a nearby waterfall filled the air around. _A hot spring? Maybe he's here._ She thought and then she looked to her right. In a neat pile by a tree were his clothes. She walked over to them and picked them up. There was a top and a bottom. _I don't get it; Jaken said he came to wash his clothes. There is no blood on his shirt and even if there was, he would still have his pants on right? So why— oh my god he's bathing! That means…_She turned back to the water and noticed his silver hair. She blushed a little and hid behind a tree, his clothes clutched tightly to her chest. Then, she stole a peek.  
He was leaning on the bank, his elbows relaxed on the edge. His hair was touching the water and Yori could barely see his broad shoulders showing through his damp hair. She could tell it was damp. Not only did it stand to reason, but if she looked closely enough, she could just barely see the tiny droplets of water coating his head of silver. They clumped together, joining each other and creating a crystal drop that was strong enough to slide slowly down a strand of his hair and back into the water. She could only see the back side of him, but it was enough. Her legs almost turned to jelly as she watched him not move, so intent on whatever he was thinking about as he was always.  
"Who's there?" Oh my god, the question was directed at Yori. _How did he know I was here? Oh, I suppose it doesn't matter. It's probably better to just respond.  
_"Um Yori, my Lord." she said without moving.  
"Yori? I'm not familiar with that name."… Ouch. Yori had traveled with Sesshomaru long enough to know that his sense of smell was amazing. But the water must have masked her scent. So instead of responding to the question, she simply stepped out first and looked at the ground. She still held his clothes to her chest and she walked to the edge of the spring.  
"Oh, it is you." She nodded her head slowly. Her blush spread across her face and colored it a light pink. "Why are you here?"  
"I came to thank you for dressing my wounds. It was very—" He cut her off.  
"Yori, when you speak to me, I want you to look at me." She looked at him. Bad idea. Yori could now see his chest and her face turned cherry red as she stared at his chiseled body. The water ran down his visible torso, tracing the indentions and lines of his abs. Holy snap he was _hot!  
_"What is the matter? You've grown silent." he said, turning his eyes on her.  
"It's, I just, um, well—" She was stuttering like an idiot. She couldn't seem to make her lips form honest-to-God words, so she just gapped at him.  
"Fine, if you cannot speak, just listen." Yori nodded her head. "Thank you for saving me." That was all he said. And that was enough. Yori had to take a few steps back in order to keep her balance and not fall unconscious. Had he just thanked her? That had to be unheard of, Lord Sesshomaru thanking someone especially a human. What was going on in his mind? She just stared at him, at a complete loss for words. But he begun to stand up and that's when she remembered how to speak.  
"No! Lord Sesshomaru, please don't stand up!" she shouted. Yori stared at his body as the water cascaded down and met the ground in soft thuds. _Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god._ She squeezed her eyes shut tightly; it was all she could do to keep from looking at him. Her face had to be a grape's identical twin as she held out her hands in a silent motion, begging him to take his clothes. She felt their weight disappear and she waited for the okay to open her eyes.  
"Yori, you may open your eyes." She slowly let her eyelids part and she saw Sesshomaru flipping his hair from out the back of his shirt. The wind blew softly, making the branches of the trees sway slightly and Sesshomaru turned slowly, and begun to walk away.  
"No! Lord Sesshomaru please wait." she called after him. He stopped in his tracks, but did not face her.  
"What?"  
"When I was trapped in the castle, Kagura was my guard. She spoke with me while I was held captive." Yori started. She had no control of the words that were pouring out of her mouth, and she didn't want control of them.  
"And why is that of any importance?" He faced her now. Yori swallowed and continued to speak, hurriedly and with an apprehensive tone.  
"She comforted me when I cried." He took a step near her.  
"And what were you feeling then?" He asked, coming all the more closer.  
"Fear."  
"Why?" he asked, now close enough that Yori could feel his soft breath on her cheek. Her thoughts weren't jumbled this time, she wasn't afraid to speak this time.  
"Because I was afraid that you weren't going to come for me." His eyes widened a bit. And Yori looked down a little. "When Kagura offered you the choice of me or Rin, you chose Rin. I thought that perhaps you didn't care about me. I thought you were going to leave me there and in a very short period of time, Naraku would kill me. But still, Rin's words played in the back of my mind." Sesshomaru had been absentmindedly twirling a piece of Yori's hair around his finger as she spoke. He inhaled deeply, and then exhaled, as if he'd wanted to take all of her in. He would never admit it, but her scent intoxicated him; the smell of lavender and fresh flowers.  
"And what did she say?" Yori looked up at Sesshomaru.  
"She said that you would never abandon me. And you didn't— you came for me, as she said you would. And Kagura said the same thing. In truth, though she wounded me, she was the one who helped me escape. She took me out of the room I was in and to the courtyard where you and Naraku were... And Kagura, she also said something else." Yori paused and realized that she'd moved closer to him. His body was pressed against hers softly, and she couldn't help but place her hands on his chest. She was very surprised when he actually let her do it.  
"What else did she say?" Sesshomaru's eyes were glossed over with wonder. Unbeknownst to his will Sesshomaru had slid his arm around Yori's waist and brought her closer to him. Their bodies were now pressed against one another's in a very sensual manner. Yori swallowed as little shivers traveled up and down her spine.  
"She said that she could see the way we acted around each other." Sesshomaru leaned in closer and tangled the fingers of one hand in Yori's short black hair. He touched his lips to hers softly.  
"And what do you think she meant?" _Who cares?_ Yori wrapped her arms around Sesshomaru's neck.  
"I think she's under the impression that we are… interested… in each other." Sesshomaru gnawed softly on her lower lip.  
"How foolish." he whispered and then kissed her fully, on the mouth. He seemed to have lost control of his actions, and was driven by some deep, inner, dark desire. He let his hands roam her back and she tangled her fingers in his soft hair. He pushed her softly against a nearby tree and ran his hand along one of her thighs. Their tongues were touching, caressing each other's sweetly. He pulled one of her legs near his waist and she wrapped it around him, as if they were dancing a silent tango.  
Yori's mind was reeling, what was going on? He was kissing her, okay. But why? Did it matter? Well, yes because you don't just kiss a person or touch them this way without a reason. But she couldn't give the whole situation that much thought though because all of a sudden, Sesshomaru pulled away. Not abruptly though; he unwrapped her leg from around him and gently pulled his face away. His eyes were closed as he inhaled once more.  
"We will be missed." he whispered and then he was walking back towards the camp. Yori sighed. _Damn, he was a great kisser. _But it was something more than that. And as the wind ceased to blow, she could not think of what it was.

That night, dreams of the blue light plagued her sleep. She kept seeing it, no matter if it appeared in a case scenario as it had in real life or something completely made up. She dreamt of a woman who looked almost like her, dressed in the clothes she wore now. Bows and arrows flew everywhere, blue light erupted out of no where, and Yori woke up coated in cold sweat. She whipped her face off, calmed herself down, and then fell into a dreamless sleep, one that was worse than the nightmares.  
When morning finally came, something was not right. She was moving, but she was laying down. "Huh?" She opened her eyes and looked up. Sesshomaru's face was the first thing that came into view. She blushed when she realized that he was carrying her.  
"Um, Lord Sesshomaru, why are you carrying me?" she asked softly.  
"We had to continue traveling, but you were still sleeping. We were going to lay you on Ah-Un but I was afraid that you would fall off in your sleep. So Lord Sesshomaru decided to carry you." Rin said with a smile. She was on Ah-Un's back and turned around to face Yori. "Wasn't that nice of him?" Yori nodded, a little numb with the feeling of his arms around her.  
"It was very nice. Um Lord Sesshomaru, you can put me down now." His hold on her tightened ever so slightly.  
"No." She raised an eyebrow at him as he continued walking. "Your wound reopened in your sleep. You shouldn't walk with the state it's in." _Mm-hmm_. There was nothing else said after that.  
That same night, after the group had eaten, after Sesshomaru had left, and when everyone laid down to rest Yori unwillingly let herself fall into a deep sleep.

"_You must come." _Who was that?_ It sounded like the voices of a group of children, all speaking in unison. Yori looked around. She could see nothing but darkness and she could hear nothing except her own thoughts and that voice.  
_"_You must come." they said again. Yori spun around, but there was still nothing.  
_"Hello?"  
"_You must come." The voices seemed to be morphing into something different, a different sound, a different person speaking.  
_"Who are you?"_ Yori began to run. She ran no where in particular, she just ran. She wanted to follow the voice, but it echoed around her, making pinpointing an exact location impossible.  
_"_You must come." It was solid now, the voice of one woman. She sounded strong, independent, but panicked. Something was wrong. Yori turned to what she thought was the left and continued to run.  
_"Where are you?"  
"_You must come. You must come." Yori came to a sudden halt. In front of her seemed to be a castle, huge and made of a soft pink crystal. But she gasped as it slowly morphed into a huge, circular orb. _Is that the Shikon Jewel?_ It turned from its beautiful pink color to a deadly black. _What's going on?_ Then a blinding blue light came from the sky, the light that always surrounded Yori's bow, and it struck the jewel. The black seemed to melt away, but not before the force of the collision of the light and the jewel caused a huge explosion. Yori screamed as it blew her back. And in the midst of that explosion was the voice.  
_"_You must come. Hurry."_

Yori bolted up and sat stunned as she looked herself over. Her hand was stretched out, reaching for something that it couldn't grasp. Her whole body was covered in sweat and her heart was pounding fiercely against her breastbone.  
"I have to go the Sacred Lands and speak to the High Priestess." she said softly to herself, and she knew, as soon as the words left her mouth, that that was her final decision. She flipped the covers off of her and winced in pain when she stretched her wound. But that didn't matter. Yori looked around. Sesshomaru was gone, and she sighed. She had to find him. She had to talk to him. She had to tell him that she was leaving.


	7. Part

7. Part

The sun hadn't risen yet as Yori walked through the forest in search of Sesshomaru. Tears coated her face as she walked, unexplained emotions surfacing and seizing control of her. She held in her left hand her bow and in her right, her arrows. She'd grabbed them before leaving camp. She'd also kissed Rin's forehead as she slept, and awoke the sleeping girl. Rin had looked up at her and asked _"Where are you going?"_ To that she smiled sadly and hugged the young child.  
"_I'm going to find Lord Sesshomaru. I have to speak with him."  
_"_About what?"_ She'd bit her lip then.  
"_Rin, I'm leaving."_ Panic had risen in Rin's face and she jumped up.  
"_No, you can't leave!"  
_"_Rin I—"  
_"_No!" _Tears had run down her face. She wiped them and then continued. _"You can't. You're like a big sister to me and you're the only one I can talk to around here. And you're nice to me. And, and… Lord Sesshomaru will miss you!"_ It had broke her heart to see the little girl cry. But her words made no sense.  
"_What? No Rin, you're mistaken. He won't miss me."  
_"_Yes he will! You make him happy Yori, I can see it!"_ Yori just sighed and kissed her on the forehead. Maybe it was best if Rin didn't know she was leaving. She hated to lie to her, but Yori saw she had to.  
"_Alright Rin, since it's upsetting you so much, I'll stay. We can go back to sleep, and don't you worry I'll be here when you wake up in the morning. I'm sorry I made you cry."_ Rin had given her a suspicious look, but nodded her head and they had lain down. When Yori was sure Rin had fallen into a deep enough sleep, she stole away into the night.  
_I love you Rin, as if you were my little sister._ She thought now, as the wind wrapped itself around her. She would miss Rin, but just because she was leaving didn't mean she wouldn't be back… right? When she had spoken to the High Priestess, she could come back. She wouldn't be gone forever. Yori clutched her bow and arrows tighter as she stumbled into an open clearing. The grass was blowing softly in the night's breeze, bending in the full moon's light. And there in the center of the clearing, standing in the middle of the dancing leaves was Lord Sesshomaru. He was looking up at the moon and standing still, as he always did. And with a deep breath, Yori stepped further into the clearing.  
"Lord Sesshomaru, may I speak with you?" she asked. He turned his attention towards her, giving her permission to speak. She took another deep breath. "When I went to the village the other day, I saved them from a demon. I stole one of the fallen villagers bow and arrows and I purified the demon. Lady Kaede came up to me and spoke to me about the arrow I'd shot. She told me that I'd fired a sacred arrow and there were only two people she knew who could do that. The big difference was that their sacred arrows' light was pink, mine is blue." Sesshomaru continued to stare at her. And she found it very hard to speak as she continued.  
"Kaede told me to go to the Sacred Lands and to speak to the High Priestess about it. I've been having nightmares since then, and the deciding one last night. I woman was calling to me. She said 'you must come, you must come' over and over again and I've decided that I need to go." Sesshomaru's eyes widened momentarily and then he turned his back to her. The seconds of silence that passed seemed to stretch into hours. The wind picked up its pace and the night seemed to come alive. The trees moved in closer, as if to watch the scene in front of them. The grass bent further, as if bowing to the two. And the howls hooted to the night sky, as if calling for order. Finally the wind stopped blowing.  
"What are you still doing here?" Sesshomaru said. His voice was normal enough, but Yori could sense the anger beginning to stir inside of him.  
"So, then, may I go?" Yori asked slowly. But she knew what he would say. Rin's words rang about in her head: _He'll always give you the choice to leave or stay, you just have to make the final decision.  
_"If you so desire to leave, you may do so. But understand that if you wish to come back, you will not be able to." It was the same tone. Yori sighed and looked down. Tears had formed in her eyes and were following slowly down her cheeks. She didn't want to leave, but she knew she had to. She turned her back to him and stood straight, trying desperately to keep her composure.  
"Goodbye Lord Sesshomaru." And she began to walk away. Every step she took killed her, every step sent needles up and down her legs, every step screamed for her to go back, for her not to leave him. And she stopped dead in her tracks when his voice found its way to her ears.  
"The human like all humans." She turned around. Sesshomaru's was still facing the other direction.  
"Excuse me?"  
"The human like all humans. My mother said that to me about Izayoi, the mortal princess that my father fell in love with. On the day of his death, she birthed to him a half demon son. The child was named Inuyasha." _Inuyasha and Lord Sesshomaru are brothers? That figures. _There wasn't much surprise in that, Yori had thought they were related in some way, but not one so close. She wanted to ask him about it, but Sesshomaru continued. "I curse my father's foolishness, giving his heart away to a human woman."  
"But, my Lord, when you are in love there is nothing you can do about it. It is not foolishness."  
"Who are you to say it isn't?" he said turning to her.  
"Who are you to say it is?" she asked. He narrowed his eyes at her.  
"It is not your place to say such things."  
"And it is not your place to judge people the way you do. If he fell in love with her than—"  
"Do not make excuses for him! You know nothing, you are a mortal. You are oblivious to all around you. Demons hate humans; they have since the beginning of time! What right has he to change that?" The anger had finally made its way to his voice, choking his words and drenching them in bitterness. Tears continued to fall down Yori's face.  
"Do you hate me, Lord Sesshomaru?" she asked, not wanting to know the answer.  
"Yes. I loathe you with every fiber of my being, I despise the fact that mortal blood run through your veins; mortal blood and sacred blood. You are a miko, even worse than a regular human." Yori couldn't believe what she was hearing. He hated her? Anger replaced sadness in her heart and she balled her fists together.  
"I see now why humans hate demons. You are rude, and arrogant. You put your own feelings and selfishness before others. You abuse the strength you were born with and belittle others, especially humans! You put on a tough act and walk the earth holding your head higher than others! But I can see right through it Lord Sesshomaru, you are a fool!" Yori was screaming, tears running furiously down her face. Sesshomaru's face was consumed with rage.  
"How dare you speak to me that way." He spoke lowly, dangerously, and with a voice like ice. He pulled out his sword and was on Yori in a moment. He had her backed against a tree, the tip of his Tokijin to her neck. But Yori didn't flinch, she didn't scream, she didn't move.  
"Will you kill me Lord Sesshomaru?" she asked dropping her bow and arrows to the ground, showing him that she would not strike. "Will you take my life as you have done some many others? Will you bathe your sword in my unworthy blood? Will you burn my corpse and curse the day I saved Rin's life? Will you kill me Lord Sesshomaru?" He stared at her, his eyes masked in hate and rage. But when he looked at her face; red eyes, cheeks covered with tears, and the horrible expression of defeat and triumph, fury and sadness, and determination and failure plastered on her face, he let out a growl and sheathed his sword. Yori watched, anger mixing with pain in her heart, and stared into his eyes which had resumed their usual cold stare.  
"Are you a fool then, Lord Sesshomaru?" He pressed his body against hers threateningly. Still, she did not flinch.  
"Do not test me girl. There is nothing stopping me from ripping out your throat right now." he said.  
"There is something stopping you, just like there's something stopping me from wounding you with my arrow." Yori said. She didn't avert her stare as he looked down to see the head of an arrow pressed to his torso. She knew the hand that held the arrow was shaking, trembling because it knew it never could do what it might have to. Sesshomaru looked at Yori's face once more and the backed away from her. She grabbed her bow and her arrows from the ground and turned around. The sun was rising and she could just imagine the way he looked bathed in its beautiful light as he stood still and said "The human like all humans."  
_Goodbye Lord Seshomaru._ And Yori disappeared into the trees.

Yori wiped her tears from her face and tried to slow her breathing. When she left the clearing, she'd begun to run. She just ran because she knew if she didn't get away from his as quickly as she could, then she would go back to him. When she felt certain that she was far enough away, she stopped running and tried to calm her furiously beating heart. She'd run far, very far. Probably a good two or three miles were now separating her and Sesshomaru. She had her bow and arrows slung over her shoulder and she was drenched in sweat. But when she looked up, she gasped.  
"I ran all the way back to the place where I first met Rin." she said out loud, surprised. The place looked so much different in the morning; the bright light from the sun was bouncing off the surface of the river, creating little rainbows that floated away with the current. Yori half expected to see a demon jumped out of nowhere and threaten her life. But nothing happened, except…  
"Hey kid!" Yori heard someone call. She looked up and widened her stance as the winds picked up and surrounded her. "Need a ride?"  
"Kagura?" she said and she jumped onto the giant feather. "What are you doing here? Did Naraku send you?" Kagura looked over her shoulder.  
"No he didn't send me. Your arrow found my heart and purified it. Now I'm free from him, thanks to you. So I thought I drop by and return the favor." Yori sat perplexed.  
"How did you know where I was?"  
"I had Kana find you with her mirror before I left. I watched you as you were going to tell Sesshomaru. So I flew over cause I thought he might kill you." Yori looked down and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.  
"He almost did." she whispered.  
"No, I heard you two from the beginning and you're right. There was something stopping him from killing you, just as there was something stopping you from killing him." Yori looked up now.  
"Like what?" Kagura tossed her a peculiar glance and then looked back in front of her.  
"Where ya headed? The Sacred Lands?" she asked. Yori nodded.  
"Yes, Kaede said they were located in the south. Have you heard of them?"  
"Yes. The Sacred Lands are where all of the monks, priest, and priestesses go at one point in their life to train. Only those who have pure hearts and true intentions are allowed to enter, or else the barrier that surrounds the land will purify you, regardless if you're mortal or demon. I've heard a person must be determined, hardworking, and strong in order to survive the training there. Are you ready for that?"  
"I just want the dreams to go away; I want to find out how to get home. But most importantly, I want to figure out who I am in this world." Kagura smirked.  
"Well kid you must be someone pretty important, considering the fact that Sesshomaru wouldn't kill you and I'm giving you a free ride to your destiny." Yori smiled a small smile at Kagura. This woman must have been so misunderstood. She only did the things she did because she was under Naraku's control. _She fits the description, but that was not her voice in my dream._ Kagura was strong, independent, and now free.  
Yori inhaled deeply. She took in the wind as it surrounded Kagura's feather. It seemed to fill her, to bring her mind at peace, to make her happy. She breathed in again and Kagura chuckled.  
"Feels good doesn't it?" And she too took in a deep breath of air. "Ah, as if your soul's been set free." Yori nodded. That's exactly what it felt like. But no amount of liberation could cover the pain she was feeling on the inside. Yori's heart seemed to explode when a picture of Sesshomaru's face as he'd threateningly held the Tokijin to her neck crossed through her mind.  
"Huh?" Kagura looked back and then came closer to Yori. "You seem to cry about him a lot." she commented and then wrapped her arms around Yori.  
"Don't worry about it. If he cares about you the way you care about him, then you two will be together soon. I'll even help you find him, but you have to promise you'll stop crying. It'll take three days to get to the Sacred Lands. Do you think you can last that long?" Yori nodded her head and wiped her tears away. There was no use fighting it any longer, she'd fallen in love with Lord Sesshomaru.


	8. The Human Like All Humans

8. The Human Like All Humans

Sesshomaru's P.O.V

_Yori._

It had been three days since she'd left him. Sesshomaru was standing by the edge of a cliff as the moon rose high in the sky. She had been so beautiful bathed in its soft white light, her black hair turning almost the same silver as his, her soft brown eyes seemed to sparkle. And here, alone, Sesshomaru went over all that had happened between them.

He looked at his hand; he could still feel her body as he held her. He sniffed the air, hoping that just maybe he would be able to catch her scent, if only for the reason of smelling it; the sweet smell of perfection. _What are you thinking? She is a human, the human like all humans._ But no matter how hard he wished he could hate her as he said, he couldn't. He missed her presence, he missed the way she looked at him, he missed the way she giggled when he'd hit Jaken.

She was right, he was a fool. He had her and he let her slip away, slip right through his fingers.

He remembered their kiss. He knew a kiss meant everything to a mortal girl. He also knew that under normal circumstances, he would never have acted the way he did. But there was something in the air that night, something about the blush spread across her cheek; something about the way she looked at him as she spoke, something that drove him insane. He remembered how he felt as if he needed to be close to her, and his happiness when she let him hold her. He remembered the feeling of her soft hair tangled around his fingers, the feeling of her lips on his. He remembered how his anger flared when he'd been given the choice between her and Rin. He'd gone to the castle with the pure intention on killing Naraku. And then she'd saved him. He missed her.

_Walking around this world without her, it pains me more than I care to admit. What is it about this girl that I would lose my control and show affection the way I did? What is this feeling in my chest, it pulls in the direction she walked. Why do I feel guilty when I see the tears hanging in Rin's eyes, when I notice that she's not her usual self? Who is this girl, Yori, to me?_ The wind began to blow and his face suddenly felt cold. He slowly brought his hand to his face and touched the water that had appeared there. _Who is this girl to me that simply her absence can make me shed tears? I have never done such a thing in my life. And though only one falls, it falls for her._ Sesshomaru remembered how it hurt him when she thought he wouldn't come for her. He could still, even now, feel the anger that'd ran through him when she told him she was leaving. Why had he let his emotions control him like that? And how did she feel about it. The feeling of the tip of her sacred arrow still lingered where it pressed against his stomach softly. _She was shaking as she spoke, she was crying as she spoke. What was she feeling? Anger? Sadness? Fear? How does she feel about me? If I found her, would she forgive me for telling her I hate her? I shouldn't have said that._

Sesshomaru looked to the sky as the wind blew and he inhaled deeply the fresh air. Something about the wind. It seemed to carry Yori in it; it seemed to carry her very soul in it. She was the wind; she moved like it, she moved with it_. _

_Mother, you were wrong. We are the fools like Yori has said. We never see what we have; we only see what we don't. And I will not let her slip away as I have let so many good things in my life. I need her smile, I need her touch, I need to feel her heartbeat beating with mine. I need her._ He turned around and walked back towards camp, his mind made up. He needed to find her; he needed to stop this longing that his heart harbored. He would find her, and when he did, he would ask her to stay with him. He would ask her to travel with him until he met his goal and he would stand by her with whatever she needed. And he would protect her as he should. His heart belonged to her, he realized that now. And he realized that these feelings were overtaking him because he loved her. He loved her, so he had to find her. _Father was not a fool, he was not weak. He was strong; she made him strong- the human like all humans._


	9. Kikyo's Sister

9. Kikyo's Sister

"Well, here you are kid. This is your stop." Kagura said, descending to the ground. The feather landed lightly and Yori stepped off and turned to face Kagura.  
"Thank you so much Kagura." she said and she grabbed the woman and embraced her.  
"Hey. Now, I'll be back to take you to Sesshomaru like I said. When you need me, just blow this whistle." Kagura handed Yori a small silver whistle which she slipped inside her shirt. She watched in admiration as Kagura stepped onto her feather and rose into the air. Yori smiled and waved at her as she flew away. Then she turned around and confusion washed over her. It looked like they were still in the forest, the scenery hadn't changed. And then Kagura's words struck her. _Only those who have pure hearts and true intentions are allowed to enter, or else the barrier that surrounds the land will purify you._ There was a barrier in the area somewhere. Yori took a step forward, and then she sensed it. She put her hand out in front of her and touched the barrier gently and the air around her hand rippled. Swallowing, Yori stepped through the barrier. Her jaw dropped open at what she saw.  
She was at the door of a very large castle. It looked just like the one in the dream she had three days ago; it was huge and it gave off a soft pink glow. She looked around her; there were miles and miles of flat land, water, and trees. But everything together, it made her feel easy, her mind and soul were set at piece. Birds took flight over her head, and she walked towards the door. She couldn't get far though, for coming near her at an alarming pace were what looked like guards form the castle. They surrounded her and she immediately dropped her arrows and raised her hand in surrender.  
"State your name and your business." one of them said.  
"My name is Yori Anoshi and I—" But the guards suddenly dropped their weapons and bowed.  
"Come Miss Yori, the High Priestess is awaiting you." _Okay, this is really weird. But if I've learned anything in this world, it's just go with it._ Yori nodded and picked her bow and arrow, and began to follow the guards into the castle from her dreams.  
They lead her up two flights of stairs and down a large hallway made of pink tinted silver. The place was beautiful; chandeliers of crystal and gold hung high above her head and rugs of silk lay beneath her feet. She looked ahead of her and gasped at the huge doors. A guard walked in front of her and opened it while another walked into the room.  
"High Priestess, Miss Yori has arrived." he said kneeling. When Yori walked into the room, she was overtaken by a powerful feeling of relief. It was as if the she could feel whatever the High Priestess was feeling.  
"Are you certain this is she?" _That voice! It sounds like the one from my dream.  
_"No ma'am, not certain. But that's who she claims to be. I've brought her to you for I knew you would know." The woman stared at the guard. She sat high on a throne, her legs crosses and her nails tapping on the wood of the arm. She had long black hair that reached her waist and square cut bangs that covered her eyebrows and almost touched her deep brown eyes which were filled with suspicion. Those eyes turned to Yori and she bowed her head instinctively.  
"Come forth." she said and Yori did as she was told. The High Priestess came closer to her and ran her finger along the hem of her clothes. She then grabbed the bow and arrows and held them in her hands, weighing them and examining them closely. Then her eyes widened and she spoke, voice trembling ever so slightly.  
"You, you carry my original sacred bow. And you wear my clothes." She looked at Yori then. "Tell me girl, who gave you these things?"  
"Lady Kaede." Yori said, and then noticed that they were wearing the exact same thing, save for the fact that Yori's clothes still were blood soaked.  
"Why have you come here?" she asked handing her back to bow and arrows.  
"If I'm not mistaken ma'am, you called me here. In a dream." Yori said, realization slowly hitting her. _No way.  
_"Then you are Yori. Oh, I'm so glad you've come." The High Priestess threw her arms around Yori.  
"And you're, and you're Kikyo's sister."

The High Priestess, Lady Kiesu, ordered the servants to take Yori to a bathing room and clean her clothes. The servants did as they were told and Yori said there was no need for them to accompany her during her bath. But they insisted and when she was done, they redressed her wounds. After that, they fed her. It was so nice to have something in her stomach other than fish for a change, but she barely ate. She was too nervous to eat; afterwards, she was supposed to speak with the High Priestess alone. So she finished her food and excused herself from the table, making her way back to the room she originally had been in.  
She walked in the doors and bowed. The High Priestess shook her head.  
"There is no time for formalities. I must explain what is going on." Lady Kiesu beckoned for Yori to come sit in front of her. She did so and was surprised when Kiesu also sat on the floor. "I am indeed Kikyo's sister. My name is Kiesu and I went missing at the age of ten. A demon attacked the village and stole children from their homes to sell to other demons. He grabbed me and took me, along with so many other children, to a secluded area where I killed him with my first sacred arrow. It was nothing but a stick and a rock, but sacred none the less. The High Priestess of that time sensed it and she came to find me. And instead of returning to my village, I came here to take her place." She paused and took a deep breath.  
"Many years passed and I kept a close eye on my sister; she was the sole protector of the Shikon Jewel now, the only one who possessed sacred powers such as mine. But she was foolish, giving her heart away to a half demon. She was ready to give him the Sacred Jewel to turn him human and I knew I would soon have to interfere and stop her. But in the days that followed I heard word that she'd passed on to the next life, taking the Jewel with her." Kiesu took a sip of whatever she was drinking and it was Yori's turn to take a deep breath. Perhaps Lord Sesshomaru was right, the hate between humans and demons ran too deep and maybe no one had the right to try and change that. Kiesu closed her eyes and continued.  
"I thought that was the end and I was incorrect. Fifty years after my sister passed on, a young girl appeared from the Bone Eater's well. She held within her the Jewel of Four Souls, and it was she who cracked the Jewel into shards and sent them flying around our world. It became apparent that this young girl, Kagome, was my sister's reincarnation. I felt somewhat relieved at that for with her present there would be someone who could purify the tainted shards. All was well, until someone tried to bring my sister back from the grave." Another pause. "This woman was a witch, and she attempted to transfer Kagome's soul into my sister. Her attempt failed but by some way or another, my sister grabbed a hold of life once more. And it had a horrible effect on the jewel shards." Yori was listening hard.  
"What do you mean?" she asked.  
"Something is very wrong with them. They seem to repel one another when brought together, as if something is not right. The jewel shards can't decide who their true protector is. It is almost as if they refuse to be come whole for they know not who will look after them." Lady Kiesu paused again and took a long and thoughtful sip before continuing. "Kagome is the true protector of the Jewel. My sister is one of the living dead, she walks this earth in hatred pointed towards the half demon she fell in love with. She seeks revenge and she is tainted. She must be destroyed." Yori nodded.  
"But Lady Kiesu, what does any of this have to do with me?" she asked slowly, respectfully.  
"It is Kagome's destiny to protect the Jewel, but she cannot do this with Kikyo's soul roaming the Earth." she paused. "When Lady Sienka found me when I was a child, she told me that it was my destiny to become the High Priestess. When one assumes the position of High Priestess, their body ceases to age, and their strength remains stable. Though with all of that, we must pass on to the next life just as every one else. A High Priestess may only rule for fifty-one years and my time has almost reached its end. Yori my time as High Priestess is almost up, and it is your destiny to take my place. But before you can do so, you must vanquish Kikyo and heal the Jewel." Yori felt as if someone had slapped her across the face. She sat silently as Kiesu stared at her intently.  
"You want me to, to kill Kikyo?" she stuttered a bit as she asked.  
"You must! For if you do not, then the Jewel can never again be whole and demons will continue to abuse its power. Do you not understand the seriousness of the situation Yori?" Lady Kiesu sounded panicked, but not as panicked as Yori felt. She didn't want to kill Kikyo and Yori didn't think the High Priestess understood how much she was asking.  
"I do, I do, but what I don't understand is; why me? Why do I have to do it, why not Kagome?" The High Priestess shook her head.  
"No, it must be you. You may not understand this but in the second a High Priestess ceases to age, they die. Physically, not spiritually. Their bodies are no longer human and therefore, in a sense, they have passed on. This way, when their time comes they are able to find the piece of themselves that still walks the Earth in the body of another. I have been the most powerful High Priestess in our history and Yori, you are my reincarnation. This is the reason your arrow is blue instead of pink. It is much more powerful than Kikyo's and Kagome's combined. This is the reason why you must destroy my sister, only you have to ability to completely rid the world of her. If anyone else tries, somehow, she will always come back. Do you understand this?" Yori nodded her head yes. Lady Kiesu stood up and was still for a moment.  
"Yori, tell me, have you noticed anything strange about yourself?" _What? Why would she ask such an odd question. _But Yori though hard about the question, and the only answer that came to mind was the wind.  
"Yes. When the wind blows, I feel stronger. I feel like I can do anything. When the wind blows, everything seems to go my way." She knew Lady Kiesu was smiling, she could see it in her form.  
"I had my doubts before, but now I am sure of it. You _are_ my reincarnation. Yori, I have the ability to harness and control the power of the wind. It was something I was born with, as were you. And now you must learn how to use it. Yori," Yori looked up and all of a sudden, she flew back and hit the castle's wall, knocking the wind right out of her. She looked up at the High Priestess who was standing with her arm outstretched to the side. She'd been the one who'd attacked her. "You are here to learn how to control your abilities. Now prepare yourself, we have no time to loose! Are you ready!" Yori grabbed her bow and arrow and aimed it at the High Priestess.  
"Yes." And she released her arrow as Lady Kiesu rushed towards her.

In the days that followed Yori learned many things. She learned how to sense jewel shards from wherever they were in the world, she learned how to keep a demon at bay and or destroy it with sacred sutras, and she learned how to fight with her arrow in case, for whatever reason, she could not use her bow. She learned how to detect poisons in a person, food, the air, and just in bottles and she learned how to get rid of them without the use of an antidote. She learned how to fight with her senses instead of her body and she learned how to use her body better in a fight. She was taught how to use flexibility, balance, and stamina during an intense battle. But the most amazing was, she learned how to control the wind. Lady Kiesu had spent countless hours teaching her how to see it, how to _feel_ it. And by the end of the three weeks Yori had spent with the High Priestess, she had mastered the ability.  
"Now Yori, this is where I want you to show me all that you have learned." Lady Kiesu stood directly in front of her, he bow and arrow poised to fire. "I will not hold back Yori; you must use all you've learned against me." Yori nodded her head and took one last look around. They were in the courtyard and all of the monks, priests, priestesses, and servants were seating around them, eagerly awaiting the battle between master and pupil, the current High Priestess and the priestess who would succeed her. Lady Kiesu narrowed her eyes and then released her arrow. Yori dodged it and came in close to her master, where she broke the next arrow the High Priestess was preparing in a flash of blue.  
"Good Yori." she said.  
"Thank you." Yori smiled and so did the High Priestess. Yori was barely able to avoid the flash of silver as it scrapped her neck and drew blood. She did a back flip and distanced herself from Lady Kiesu and her raised sword.  
"Stay focused!" she yelled and came at Yori, who had just enough time to draw her own sword. A loud sounded echoed off of the walls as metal met metal in a furious clash. Yori knew that she was not physically stronger than her teacher and Lady Kiesu took a step forward, backing Yori up.  
"What will you do Yori?" she asked, advancing all the more. Yori grunted a little and then tilted her sword. In a swift motion, she grabbed the hilt of Lady Kiesu's sword with the tip of hers and flipped it out of her hand. The High Priestess smiled and jumped back as Yori made a dangerously close jab at her. Lady Kiesu stood and aimed three arrows at Yori and Yori dropped her sword. There was no way she could dodge all three sacred arrows, so she would have to do something else. She stood straight, relaxing her muscles and looking with her senses. She felt the air around her and saw the energies. And as the High Priestess released her arrows, Yori called forth the wind and sent a huge gust at the oncoming arrows and her master.  
Lady Kiesu flew back and hit the wall. But before she could do anything, Yori pinned her there with three of her own arrows. And in a flash, breathing hard, she had her sword to Lady Kiesu's neck. She smiled.  
"You have done well." The arrows disappeared and Yori sheathed her sword.  
"Because of your teachings." she said and bowed. Lady Kiesu grabbed Yori and embraced her.  
"I have taught you all I can. And now you must meet your fate. You must travel to the Bone Eater's well. The events that take place there will lead you to Kikyo. And before you slay my sister, please, let her know I am indeed alive." The High Priestess let her go and Yori grabbed her bow and arrows. She was dressed in the clothes she had arrived in, minus the blood, and she turned back to the High Priestess.  
"I am proud to say that you, Yori Anoshi, are worthy to carry the sacred bow. Now go, and I hope to see you soon." Yori smiled and ran out of the castle doors. And as quickly as she could, she found the barrier and crossed through it. She needed a way to the Bone Eater's well so she pulled the small silver whistle out of her shirt. She blew it as hard as she could and watched as the winds around her picked up their pace. And smiling, Kagura appeared in the midst of it.  
"Hey kid, it's been awhile."


	10. Hidden Emotions

10. Hidden Emotions

The feather landed softly on the ground and Yori stepped off. Kagura stood and looked at her. On the ride to the Bone Eater's well, she had told Kagura all that had happened to her during her training with Lady Kiesu. She told her about the wind, about how she would have to kill Kikyo, and how she'd come to the conclusion that she loved Sesshomaru. Kagura smiled.  
"Well, here we are." she said. And Yori smiled and hugged Kagura tightly.  
"Thank you so much for everything."  
"Hey, don't worry about it. As far as I'm concerned, it was my pleasure." Yori laughed softly and let her friend go.  
"So, what will you do now?" Kagura shrugged.  
"You know me, I come and go. Guess I'll travel for a while. And you?"  
"You know what I have to do." The wind picked up and Kagura nodded seriously. But then she hugged Yori again. Yori had come to know Kagura like an older sister, someone to look to for advice and help. And the feeling must've been mutual because Kagura had given Yori the whistle to keep, for anything she might need her.  
"Kagura!" Yori heard someone yell and the two broke apart as an arrow zoomed towards them. Yori looked to her right and saw Kagome standing there with Inuyasha and the rest of the group.  
"Let her go." the monk said. Kagura narrowed her eyes at them and then boarded another feather and rose into the air. She called over the edge.  
"Good luck kid!" Yori smiled and waved at her.  
"You too! I hope you find whatever you're looking for!" And she was gone. Yori turned her attention back to the group. They were looking at her, confused.  
"Is there something we missed?" Sango asked. Yori did not feel like explaining anything to them but she sat down on the grass and nodded her head.  
"You missed a lot." she sighed, she would have to tell them everything. "After I ran off, I came across a demon and saved a little girl from in. She was traveling in a small group and I decided to travel with them. We were looking for food a couple days later and I went into a village and met Kaede. She told me to visit the High Priestess in the Sacred Lands because I could fire a scared arrow like Kikyo and Kagome. That same night, I was kidnapped by Naraku and Kagura helped me escape. So in return, I freed her heart from him. When I left my group to visit the High Priestess, she took me there. I trained with her and I have an assignment to complete. You got it?" Yori spoke quickly, and was careful not to mention certain names. The group stared at her and blinked.  
"What?" she asked. Kagome ran to her friend and embraced her.  
"Do you know how long you were missing?" she asked looking her over. Yori blinked. She hadn't really though about how long she had been missing.  
"No."  
"You've been gone for a month! I thought you were dead and your parents are going crazy. You've been labeled missing in our world." she said with tears in her eyes. Yori had completely forgotten about the other world, her world. It brought a little pang to her heart when she though about it, but she knew she couldn't go home. At least, not yet.  
"Well, you're safe and now you can return to your home." Miroku said, stepping forward. Yori smiled and shook her head slowly.  
"No, I can't go back yet. It's like I said, I have an assignment to complete." Inuyasha stepped forward.  
"Ya, and what might that be?" She turned to him, with sadness in her heart. She knew that Inuyasha had loved Kikyo, and she could tell he still did. Telling him that she was going to kill her seemed heartless and unnecessary. He would grow angry and try to kill her, though she could easily defeat him, she didn't want that to happen. So she tried to explain without telling the straight truth.  
"When I went to the Sacred Lands and trained under the High Priestess, she explained to me that the sacred jewel shards were not themselves. She told me that I had to find the person that was causing them to repel each other and put a stop to it. You see, if this person remains alive, the Jewel can never again be whole." Yori looked up at the confused faces around her.  
"So, you're a priestess now?" Sango asked. Yori nodded her head.  
"And you have to kill someone in order to get the jewel back to it original form?" Miroku asked. Yori nodded her head.  
"Who?" Kagome asked. Yori shook her head and stood up.  
"I'd rather not say." They all stared at her. And then Inuyasha turned his attention on her.  
"Well, you know where Naraku is, don't you?" he said seriously.  
"I knew where he was. The castle probably has disappeared since I was captured." she said. Then Inuyasha turned his nose up.  
"Figures. You're still not much help, are you?" _Oh, back to square one._ Yori decided to ignore Inuyasha but he kept on. He commented on how she let herself be captured, how she befriended Kagura, how she walked around with complete strangers, and how she trained and was nothing more then what she started as. That one did it.  
"C'mon Inuyasha. You wanna fight again? This time, I'll kill you." Yori was completely serious. Inuyasha smirked and unsheathed his sword.  
"You can try." he said. Yori took a fighting stance and everyone's expression changed to one of exasperation. Yori looked  
at him closely, he would never change. His eyes were still the same mocking ones as they had been, mocking and overconfident. His body was still the same, no new wounds or anything. And his smirk was still the same, it still pissed Yori off. But she waited. This time, he would make the first move. And he was about to too, but was until a look crossed his face; one of surprise, distress, and immediate dislike. And Yori was smart enough to know that he'd just smelled something.  
Before she could guess what, she noticed something approaching them from the woods. She looked closely, trying to figure out what it was, or who it was. Then she saw silver. _It can't be._ But it was. Emotions gripped Yori's heart and made it hard for her to stand. Fear, surprise, pain, happiness, loss, hatred, and love all mixed inside of her chest and she stood, frozen, tears beginning to fill her eyes.  
Sesshomaru emerged from the shadows of the forest and stepped into the sunlight. Inuyasha turned his sword to him.  
"Come back to try and take this?" he asked. Sesshomaru looked at him from the corner of his eye and then turned his attention on Yori.  
"I have no interest in you half demon."  
"Why you—" He was about to attack but Miroku held him back and Sesshomaru continued to Walk in Yori's direction. Kagome grabbed her arrows and aimed one at Sesshomaru. He continued to walk, ignoring her threat, his footsteps in sync with Yori's heartbeat. He came towards her and she found it increasingly hard to breathe. He stood in front of her and spoke one word.  
"Yori." Her name left his lips, glistening with happiness covered in pain. He took her face in his hands and brought his lips to hers, a kiss filled with passion and sorrow. Yori's eyes were wide open, surprised at his actions and before she knew what she was doing, her hands were around his neck. They two parted and Sesshomaru kissed her forehead.  
"I love you Yori." She really couldn't believe her ears.  
"But you said—" He kissed her again, this time harder, more needy.  
"I know what I said and I'm so sorry I said it. I didn't realize how much I needed you until you left." Yori looked up into Sesshomaru's eyes, searching for the truth. She searched and searched, and that was all she found. And it was time for her to say what she felt, time for her to tell him she loved him too.  
"Lord Sesshomaru, I—"  
"Yori," Yori pulled away from Sesshomaru and looked to her left. Kagome was lowering her bow and staring at her with wide eyes. "How could you?" Yori crinkled her eyebrows at her friend.  
"What do you mean?" Yori looked around. Everyone was staring, all with different emotions plastered on their faces.  
"Do you know who that is?" Kagome asked and she didn't even wait for a response. "That's Inuyasha's older half brother, Sesshomaru." Yori nodded her head.  
"I know. What's your point Kagome?" Kagome looked hurt.  
"Do you know how many times he's tried to kill Inuyasha? To kill all of us? He hates his brother, he hates humans? How can you—" Yori cut her off.  
"How can I what Kagome? How can I love him?" Kagome nodded her head. "How can you love Inuyasha?" The question hit Kagome hard, so that she took a surprised step back.  
"What?"  
"You heard me Kagome, how can you love Inuyasha? He's rude and he only seems to care about defeated Naraku." Yori temper was flaring.  
"It is not like that Yori. You don't even know—"  
"Know what? I saw it in your face when you spoke about Kikyo a month ago! You love him, but he doesn't love you back! He's still stuck on Kikyo! So how dare you preach to me about Sesshomaru!" Yori was screaming and Kagome's expression quickly went from hurt, to anger.  
"And how dare you preach to me about Inuyasha! You've only seen him for one day, I know who he is! You have no right to comment on anything!"  
"And neither do you. I've traveled with Sesshomaru. He saved me and took care of me. When Kagura wounded me, he tended to them. He carried me when I couldn't walk. You don't get it Kagome, you can't say anything either. All of the times you encountered him were different. Kagome, you are not me." Yori spoke as if Kagome couldn't understand her. She tried as hard as she could to put real meaning into her words. But Kagome shook her head.  
"No Yori, you don't understand. So what, you come her knowing nothing and in a months time, you go through some things, meet some people, do some training, and now you think you know everything? You have no place to say anything! You still don't know anything!" Kagome's face was covered in fury, as was Yori's.  
"I know more than you think. I know everything about you, everything that even you don't know." Yori whispered looking down.  
"What do you—"  
"I know more about your sacred powers, about Kikyo, about the Shikon Jewel, and about your destiny than you do. I know what limits you will be pulled to, I know what tests you will have to take, and I know who you will become." Kagome looked surprised.  
"This has nothing to do with me." she said.  
"No, this had everything to do with you. You're the one who thinks they know everything here, who knows everyone. You're the one who judges before actually getting to know someone. I can draw a conclusion about Inuyasha because of how he acted towards me, but you cannot draw a conclusion about Sesshomaru because you have not seen enough of him. People change Kagome." Yori said lowly. Kagome grit her teeth together and raised her bow and arrow, aiming it at Yori. And Yori did the same.  
"Since you think you're so superior, release your arrow." Kagome said. Yori narrowed her eyes.  
"You first." Moments passed and all was still as the girls stared each other down. The only thing that moved was the wind, and it filled Yori's blood with power and it increased her rage. She gripped her arrow harder and held it steady, with all intentions of firing at her friend. But as always, someone decided to cut it.  
"No, everyone stop. All of this is ridiculous!" Miroku said and Inuyasha rushed in front of Kagome and began to speak with her. Sesshomaru stepped in front of Yori and he put his hand on her wrist.  
"No Yori, all of this is unnecessary." She looked into Sesshomaru's eyes, his softly pleading eyes. And she lowered her bow.  
"You're right. I'm sorry." He shook his head.  
"It is not I who the apology is owed to." He turned and Yori saw Kagome and her group with their back turned to them. They begun to walk in the other direction and Yori noticed that Inuyasha's arm was around Kagome's shoulder. And then her eyes widened. She grabbed Sesshomaru's hand as tears slid down her face. He turned to her.  
"What are you feeling?"  
"Fear." He brushed her tears away gently.  
"Why?"  
"I'm afraid she'll never forgive me." Sesshomaru embraced Yori and she rested her head on his shoulder.  
"If she truly is your friend, then she will forgive you. But for now, we need to get back to Rin." He pulled away and wrapped his arm around her waist. Yori rested her head on his shoulder as they walked in the opposite direction, leaving the well and her friend behind her. _No one was right; I shouldn't have said what I said. Now I've lost my best friend. Now, there's a possibility that I will never get her back.  
_The wind blew in the direction they were walking and she shivered as it touched her neck. She came and she went. Now she was truly moving with the wind, and she wasn't too sure she liked it.


	11. Kikyo

11. Kikyo

The first thing Rin did when she saw Yori was throw a rock at her and call her a liar.  
"Rin," Sesshomaru said warningly.  
"But Lord Sesshomaru, she lied to me. She said she would leave and then she did. And she hurt you, and drove you crazy trying to look for her. She—"  
"That's enough Rin."  
"I'm so sorry I worried you Rin, I had to leave. But you had to have known I would be gone for long. I would never leave you and not come back." Rin crossed her arms and looked the other way. Yori sighed; she knew that getting Rin to trust her Again would be difficult.  
"Hey," Yori said and walked over to Rin. She put her arms around the child's shoulder and sighed. "You know, the whole time I was gone, I couldn't stop thinking about you two. Every moment of my training, I wondered when I would get to see you again." Tears welled up in Rin's eyes.  
"Where did you go? I mean, was it so important that you had to leave us for so long? We missed you." Rin hugged Yori tightly. Yori patted her hair and smiled softly. "I love you Rin. You're like my little sister; I could never really leave you." Rin pulled away and wiped her face. She shook her head.  
"Okay. I'm sorry I called you a liar and threw rocks at you." Yori smiled.  
"It's okay Rin." The small child smiled, her face and odd shade of red. Yori had been kneeling to hug her and she sat back on her knees as she watched Rin go speak with Jaken excitedly.  
She tensed up when she felt hands on her shoulders. Sesshomaru was kneeling behind her, his body pressed closely to hers. He slid his hands down her arms and grabbed her wrists, gently pressing her palms against the ground. Her heart rate accelerated.  
"Sesshomaru-" but she was cut off as his lips brushed against her neck. He trailed butterfly kisses to her collarbone and caressed it softly with his tongue. Shivers traveled her spine and moans crowded her throat as her eyelids begin to fall in this feeling of pleasure. Something was awakened inside Yori, something she'd never felt before. And in that very instant, she realized she wanted him. Badly.  
"Meet me in the woods, there's a spring nearby. I'll be waiting for you." Yori looked up at him and he seized the opportunity to kiss her. But this kiss, Yori noted, was neither sad nor passionate. It wasn't meaningless, it just carried something alien to her. And then, as he drew away and disappeared, she realized what it was; lust.  
Yori stood up and looked off into the distance. If she walked into those woods, she would find Sesshomaru, and what else? Would she regret it? _Well, the only way to know is to go and find out. _She nodded her head and walked into the thick trees.

It was night now; a crescent moon loomed high in the sky. It gave off a bright light that hit the leaves of the trees and made patterns with the shadows on Yori's skin. Light and dark seemed to chase one another as Yori moved through the trees, her heart beating madly in her chest. There _was_ a hot spring ahead, she could feel the warm air as it touched her face and she could smell the water that fell from a waterfall. But above all, she could see Sesshomaru gazing up at the stars as he waited for her.  
As she grew nearer, he turned around. His eyes traced over her and he closed the remaining distance between them.  
"Lord Sesshomaru I—" But he put his finger to her lips.  
"I want to speak with you." he said.  
"About what?" Sesshomaru took her hands in his.  
"Something important. When you told me you were leaving, I was heartbroken because I knew nothing was going to change your mind. I told you I hated you because I was angry that I was doing the same thing I'd cursed my father so many years for doing; falling in love with a human." Yori listened intently, waiting to hear the rest of his apparent confession.  
"Three days after you left, I stood at the edge of a cliff and I thought of you, for you were all I _could_ think of. My mind, body, and soul were plagued by memories of you. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw your smile. Every time I used my hands, I remembered what you felt like in my arms. And every time I looked at Rin, I was reminded that you wetr not there anymore.  
"It was then, on that cliff, that I realized what a fool I'd been. I realize that I loved you and needed you. So I set out to find you. And for days, there was nothing. For weeks, there was nothing. Just as I was about to give up, I caught Kagura's scent in the air. It wasn't much, but it was enough." Sesshomaru grabbed Yori in a tight embrace and rested his head on hers.  
"I followed her scent and soon after, I caught yours. I was so relieved; you were fine, alive, and breathing. So I found you, I found you and I knew what you were to me." Yori looked up at Sesshomaru, her eyes coated in tears.  
"What am I to you?" Sesshomaru held a Yori by her waist and put his forehead on hers as he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.  
"You are my human like all humans. My father was not wrong to fall in love with Izayoi. In truth she made him stronger as you make me. But I don't want you to be solely that. Yori," He kissed her lips softly.  
"Will you be my mate?" The question struck Yori hard. She looked up at him.  
"Your, your mate?"  
"Yes. A mate is different that a husband or wife. The bond between husband and wife can be severed by anything; another love, fighting, power, money. But the bond between mates is eternal. Yori, I promise to love you, provide for you, and protect you to the best of my abilities. When all of this is over; the traveling and the fighting, I will return to the Western Lands where I am Lord. And I would be honored if you came with me to be my wife. You are the woman I love, you are the woman that I wish to spend the rest of my life with." He kissed her again, softly at first but then rougher. He brought his hands to her waist and pulled her against him.  
"Sesshomaru," she started. But she was stopped by that feeling again. It tugged at her insides and she gripped his shirt, pulling herself closer to him. Sesshomaru slid his hands lower and begun to trail kisses down her neck.  
"Sesshomaru." She said his name, her senses slowly returning. He slid his hands lower, grabbing her just below her butt, and wrapping her legs around his waist.  
"Don't speak." He kissed her once more, this time sliding his tongue into her mouth. She could feel one of his hands grabbing a hold of the base of her shirt.  
"Sesshomaru wait." Obediently, but with a sigh, he pulled away, setting her back onto the ground. Then he looked at her, confused.  
"Yes, yes I'll be your mate. But there are some things you should know." He raised an eyebrow.  
"Such as?" Yori sighed and ran her hand through her hair.  
"When I went to the Sacred Lands, the High Priestess turned out to be Kikyo's long-lost twin. She taught me and told me many things; the most important being that Kikyo must die. And since I turned out to be the High Priestess' reincarnation, I would be the one to kill her." Yori grabbed Sesshomaru's hands and held them meaningfully to her heart. As he looked into her eyes, he was amazed at how they seemed to listen in the moonlight.  
"I love you Sesshomaru but before I can become your mate, I must kill Kikyo." Sesshomaru nodded his head and grabbed her hand. They were turning to walk when Yori's blood ran cold.  
_What was that?_ She'd sensed something. Yori turned around and took a readied stance. She breathed in deeply and cleared her mind; looking with her soul and reaching out with her senses. She saw deep in the woods in front of her a pink aura; a sacred aura.  
"Sesshomaru, get behind me." He nodded and did as he was asked. Someone was near, someone who possessed sacred powers. Yori felt it before she saw it, an arrow flying straight towards her. She reached out and grabbed it and it dissipated at her touch.  
Yori reached for her bow and arrow and aimed in the direction of the attack. It was quiet. The stars were twinkling in the sky, and the moon shone brightly. The air was chilly, filled with the coldness of an oncoming surprise. Yori peered into the trees, looking hard for the attacker. And soon the bushes rustled and a woman stepped through. She wore an outfit identical to Yori's, save her pants were red. She had long black hair, and she looked just like Kiesu as she stood with her own arrow raised.  
"You must be Kikyo." The woman's eyes were cold, and Yori could sense that she was not alive. _Grave yard soil, bones, and dirt, just as Kaede said.  
_"And you must be Yori." Yori was surprised, but she stood steady.  
"How is it that you know me?" Kikyo's face was passive as she spoke.  
"My soul collectors have heard word that a reincarnation of my sister was seeking to destroy me." It truly was amazing to Yori, this woman was so much like Lady Kiesu and yet so different. But the biggest difference was that Kikyo had a horrible evil presence. Thought unintended, it remained. "I could not help myself in wondering who you really were, perhaps someone sent by Naraku." Yori released her arrow and it zoomed passed Kikyo, showing its blue light as it flew by. She grabbed another arrow, delighted in the shocked look on Kikyo's face.  
"I am not one of Naraku's puppets. I was sent by the High Priestess herself with this mission." Kikyo narrowed her eyes.  
"Have you all intentions of killing me?"  
"Yes, I do. That, Lady Kiesu said, was my duty." Surprise struck Kikyo once more. And then anger took control of her face.  
"You liar! My sister is dead!" And she released another arrow. Yori leaped to the side, the arrow ripping the material of her shirt as it went. She looked at Sesshomaru and he nodded, stepping to the side. Three more arrows came her way, and Yori jumped into the air and shot two of her own at Kikyo. Kikyo jumped back, but the sacred light of one of Yori's arrows was able to reach her. It cut a long gash on her arm and blood fell to the ground. She winced but rushed forward as Yori landed on the ground.  
In a flash, Kikyo had drawn a sword and was swinging wildly at Yori. As quickly as she could manage, Yori drew her own sword and met Kikyo head on. A sound rang through the night as metal met metal.  
"Tell me, how can you possible kill a person you have never known?" Yori's eyes shown dangerously and peered into Kikyo's dark ones. She gritted her teeth.  
"You tell me. Your soul collectors have done away with enough people; you should know better then anyone." Kikyo narrowed her eyes and slashed out at Yori. Then she crouched down and swept her foot underneath Yori. Yori smiled, remembering the move she'd tried on Inuyasha when they'd first met and she jumped up. Kikyo leapt into the air and the two swords met again. Then she threw a punch and her fist collided hard with Yori's cheek. Yori drew back and distanced herself from Kikyo and spit an awful mixture of saliva and blood onto the ground. Kikyo stood, her sword pointed in Yori's direction tauntingly.  
Yori leapt forward, but before she could even get close to Kikyo she heard someone shout.  
"Wind Scar!" _Damn that Inuyasha!_ There was no way for her to dodge his attack as it came straight toward her. She would be hit and wounded and Kikyo would seize the opportunity to kill her. Then white lashed in front of her vision and Sesshomaru was deflecting the attack with his Tokijin. She smiled thankfully and then willed her body backwards as Kikyo advanced. She jabbed at Yori, aiming for her neck and Yori jabbed back, aiming for her chest.  
"Yori! Why are you fighting Kikyo?" Kagome shouted. Kikyo jumped back and the two stared at the group that had just walked in on the fight. Yori narrowed her eyes at Kagome. Sesshomaru was standing a few feet away, blocking Inuyasha's path to her and the rest of the group was behind some small bushes coming closer. Kikyo narrowed her eyes also and then rushed forward. An arrow made its way between the two and stopped Kikyo dead in her tracks. Yori looked to Kagome and almost growled.  
"This is my fight," And she threw her sword at an unsuspecting Kikyo, knocking her own sword out of her hands. "Stay out of it!" Yori punched Kikyo in he stomach so hard that the other woman fell to her knees coughing up blood. Yori was breathing hard as she aimed an arrow at Kikyo. Then she looked passed Yori helplessly.  
"Inuyasha, please help me." _Oh God no._ Yori jumped out of the way as the half demon came towards her with his sword raised.  
"Do not interfere, this does not concern you little brother." Sesshomaru said and engaged Inuyasha in battle. And while Yori was watching Sesshomaru, Kikyo made her move.  
"Yori!" Yori looked up in time to see the fired arrow and she jumped to the side. But when she looked for the person who'd called her name, fear struck her heart. Young Rin had been standing a ways away, but directly behind her and now the dodged arrow was headed straight towards her.  
"No!" Yori rushed towards Rin who let out a terrified scream. The arrow hit and Yori's back exploded in pain. The head of it dug into her flesh and its sacred powers caused it to penetrate the bone underneath. She could feel the warm blood as it slid down her back and soaked her white shirt.  
"Yori!" Sesshomaru called. He tried to reach her but Inuyasha stopped him.  
"I'm your opponent; keep your eyes on me!" And he swung his sword feverously.  
"Yori?" Rin had tears in her eyes as she looked up and Yori smiled a small smile at the girl.  
"Rin, take Master Jaken and Ah-Un and get out of here. It's not safe." She whispered. The little girl nodded as tears spilled onto her cheeks and she ran back through the trees.  
Yori turned back to Kikyo, breathing hard.  
"What purpose did that serve?" And she stood up straight.  
"It was a mere accident, though it worked in my favor." Yori smiled and reached for the arrow lodged in her back. She grimaced as she grabbed the handle and pulled it out of her back. The arrow's head was covered in her blood and she placed it on her bow, aiming it at Kikyo.  
"Are you sure?" The arrow glowed blue and Kikyo's eyes widened… but not at Yori. Yori turned her head and everything went still. Silence fell across the scene as a figure made its way through the bushes. The wind blew softly and Yori's hair covered her eyes for a moment. She brushed the hair behind her ear and when her view was clear, she stood almost as shocked as Kikyo. Standing before them, with a serious look on her face, was Lady Kiesu herself.  
"High Priestess," Yori lowered her bow and bowed her head.  
"Kiesu?" The word was barely audible as Kikyo's bow slipped from her hand. Kiesu closed her eyes and nodded her head, a signal for Yori. So she closed her eyes and called forth the wind. It encircled her and she felt the energy all around her. Opening her eyes, she moved her hand in a swift motion and sent a gust of wind Kikyo's way. The wind hit her and Kikyo flew against a tree, slowly opening her eyes to stare at Yori. Yori loaded the arrow covered with her blood again, and this time was able to release it. It struck Kikyo in the chest and she let out a painful groan.  
"Kikyo!" she heard Inuyasha screamed. Yori was breathing hard and her back was causing her unbelievable pain. Lady Kiesu walked towards her fallen sister, knelt by her side, and held her in her arms.  
"Si-sister?" Kikyo could barely speak.  
"I am so sorry Kikyo that this had to happen. I was the one who sent Yori to kill you." Blood drained from Kikyo's mouth and down her chin as her insides began too bleed from the wound in her chest.  
"But, why?" Kiesu grabbed her sister's hand.  
"I have a sworn duty, just as you, to protect the Jewel. It could never be whole or pure again so long as you lived." Kikyo's eyes widened and she looked up. Her body radiated a blue color and she begun to lift off of the ground. Yori watched as her eyes closed and as she breathed her last breath, her body disappeared in a soundless explosion. Then, there was silence. Yori looked to the faces of the people around her. Most were confused but Inuyasha had fury and pain written across his face, his eyes surprisingly wet with tears. _Inuyasha's… crying?  
_"You killed her!" he shouted, running around Sesshomaru and coming straight for Yori. She tried to stand her ground but the pain in her back was too much and she fell to her knees. _Damn, I can't move._ Sesshomaru stood in front of her, but before he could do anything, Lady Kiesu acted. She appeared in front of Inuyasha and hit him in the stomach with a sacred sutra. He doubled over in pain and fell back. Kagome rushed to his side. The High Priestess addressed all around her. "Much has happened here today and I apologize for the loss that you may feel. But my sister had to die, for the sake of the Shikon Jewel. You may be wondering who I am. My name is Kiesu. I am high Priestess, a former protector of the Sacred Jewel, and Kikyo's twin sister." Yori smiled. At least now they all wouldn't hate her for taking Kikyo's life.  
A spasm of pain shot through her body and she let out scream.  
"Yori," Sesshomaru turned to her and picked her up and held her bridal style. Kiesu stared at them and then looked to Kagome who was just realizing that Inuyasha had fallen unconscious.  
"Have you any knowledge of a place we can take her. She is badly injured and is loosing a great deal of blood." Kagome nodded.  
"Kaede's village isn't far from here. You can take her there." Kiesu shook her head.  
"Kagome Higurashi, you must come also. There is much you have to learn." Kagome was surprised to say the least. But she nodded her head and Miroku came over to help her pick Inuyasha up. She turned back to Kiesu.  
"Will Yori be okay?" Kagome asked and turned her attention on Yori. _She's concerned about me?_ Another spasm of pain hit her body and her vision began to spot. She felt Sesshomaru as he began to run after the others as they made their way to Kaede's village. And she thought one last thought as the pain overtook her and she passed out. _Is she still my friend?_


	12. The Final Decision

**Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to get the 12th chapter up, but it's that time of year again; midterms and what not. Oh well :) Please enjoy the latest addition of With the Wind! And when you're done please review the chapter if you liked it! And please, please be patient with me, I'll get 13 up when i can.**

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12. The Final Decision

Yori slowly opened her eyes to a dimly lit room. Light from a burning fire spotted her vision and warmed her as the cold night air made its way through a door made of straw. She breathed in the breeze and then tried to sit up. Immediate pain shot through her back. _Oh ya, that's right. I was fighting Kikyo and took the arrow for Rin. But, where am I?_ Yori tried sitting up again and let out a small cry, but despite the pain and obvious annoyance at being injured, she was successful in her attempt to sit up.  
"You shouldn't try to move too much." some one said. The voice was soft, full of sadness and apprehension but still unmistakable. Yori spoke without looking at the speaker.  
"Where is everyone?" she asked.  
"Well, after you passed out, we headed towards Kaede's village. On the way Lady Kiesu explained everything to us. And when we got here, her, Inuyasha, and Kaede went off somewhere to talk. Shippo, Sango, and Miroku are out looking for supplies." Yori nodded her head and played with her fingers idly.  
"And Sesshomaru?" There was a pause, then a sigh, and she continued.  
"I don't know. But Yori, you were unconscious for a day and he's really worried about you. He left about an hour ago." Kagome paused and Yori saw her through the corner of her eye run a hand through her hair. "I watched him from the time you passed out. He carried you here and then held you in his arms before Kaede told him it was better to put you down... He really loves you, you know." There was another long pause.  
"And you, what are you doing here?" Yori's voice harbored unintended bitterness. Kagome flinched a little and then came to sit by her former friend.  
"I wanted to be here when you woke up." She hugged her knees and began to tremble a little. "I wanted to apologize for what happened a couple days ago. I had no right to say the things I said and I'm sorry." Yori's eyes widened and she turned to the girl sitting next to her. Then she sighed.  
"There's no need to apologize. I shouldn't have said anything either. No one was right then, and I understand why you feel the way you do." Kagome shook her head.  
"No, you don't understand. When I saw you two together, I, I didn't know how to react. That was the first time I'd ever seen Sesshomaru show emotion, and so openly. I was shocked... and heartbroken. When you asked me how I could love Inuyasha, I didn't have an answer." Yori touched Kagome's shoulder lightly and smiled sadly.  
"Kagome, Inuyasha really _does _care for you. He's just stuck on Kikyo. He loves you, but he probably feels bad about it because Kikyo is- er, was- still alive in a way. And the two never really had closure. I think Inuyasha is afraid to admit his feelings for you, afraid to trust them. Just give him some time and I promise it'll get better." Kagome looked to Yori and nodded her head. Then she looked in front of her.  
"So, what are you going to do now?" Yori raised her eyebrow.  
"What do you mean?"  
"You can either stay here and become the High Priestess or go home. Lady Kiesu told me that it was your destiny to take her place." Yori nodded her head.  
"I hadn't even thought of home. You've seen my parents right?" Kagome nodded.  
"Ya, they're very worried about you." Yori let her eyelids fall a little as a soft sadness overtook her heart.  
"Can you tell them about this place?" Kagome touched Yori's shoulder.  
"Then you're staying? So you want to be the High Priestess?"  
"No. I'm staying for another reason, something even more important. I'd tell you, but I'd rather wait until everyone is back." Yori offered her a smile.  
"Is it Sesshomaru? Are you staying because you love him?" Yori laughed slightly, and then winced at the response from her back.  
"You're close, very close." And with that she tried to stand up. Pain enveloped her back and Kagome jumped up.  
"What did I tell you Yori? You shouldn't be moving around!" Kagome said, grabbing Yori by the arm and helping her up. Yori smiled again and leaned against the wall for support. Then the straw door rattled and Sesshomaru walked in. He looked at her with eyes plagued by worry and immediately walked over to her. Sesshomaru touched her face softly, his eyes meeting hers. He grabbed her hand and placed his forehead on hers.  
"Are you alright?" Yori took in a deep breath, the soft smell of lilacs and vanilla filling her nose.  
"Yes." Sesshomaru brought her hand to his chest and caressed it softly with his fingers. He kissed her hand gently and spoke softly.  
"I was so worried." He kissed her forehead and then she smiled.  
"Where's your faith in me? You think Kikyo's weak arrow would be enough to do me in?" He smiled also, a deep genuine masterpiece.  
"No, of course not." He was leaning in for a kiss when Kagome cleared her throat. They'd forgotten she was even there. She smiled with her eyes closed and held up her hand and waved in an extremely playful motion. "Hi there." Sesshomaru just looked at her and then offered her the closest he could get to a warm expression. It seemed to be enough for Kagome as she cracked an even bigger grin.  
"I can see it." Yori scrunched her eyebrows together.  
"You can see what?"  
"The secret, I can see it now. It's big isn't it?" she asked and Yori blushed."Ya, pretty big." Kagome made a puppy dog face and stepped closer to her friend, gently pushing Sesshomaru out of the way. He made a face that screamed 'how dare you push me away like I'm some unimportant character?' and made a move for his sword. And before Yori could say anything, he stopped himself and regained his composure. _Whoa._ Her thoughts went astray though, as Kagome begun poking her friend in the shoulder and giving her an innocent and cutsie pleading face.  
"So, what is it?" Yori stared at her friend, disbelief written across her face. It was hard to believe that the two had even fought. It seemed like they were back to being best friends again in no time at all.  
"You have to wait until—" Just then, the wind blew inside the room as the door opened once more and Lady Kiesu, Kaede, and Inuyasha stepped in. Inuyasha tossed her an accusing glance, full of hate and anger. But then, like ice, his expression melted as his eye traced over her bandages. He walked over to her and Kagome moved out of the way. He stood in front of her and since he was just a little taller than she was, Yori looked up at him.  
"How's your back?" _What is this? Sesshomaru didn't kill Kagome and Inuyasha's being nice to me? What's next?_ She stared at him, completely taken aback at his sudden show of care and concern. Her jaw dropped a little before she responded.  
"It still hurts, but its healing rather quickly." He nodded his head.  
"That's good to hear." And then he grabbed Kagome's hand and the two went to sit in one of the corners of the room. The door opened again, for what would probably be the last time of the night, and Miroku, Sango, and Shippo stepped into Kaede's rather crowded house. They all found seats and sighed. It was apparent that they weren't very successful in their search for supplies. And that could have been for any number of reasons. For one, Sango and Shippo were both soaking wet. And two, Miroku had a huge red handprint on the side of his face. Yori shook her head while Kiesu only smiled a little. It was very quiet as the High Priestess made her way to the middle of the floor, grabbing hold of everyone's attention. She reached into her shirt and that's when Yori sensed it. _No way.  
_Kiesu pulled out of her shirt a small pink orb. It was shinning, giving off a powerful presence as if it were alive, and almost complete save for a small fracture in the side of it. Gasps rung about the room and Inuyasha whispered "The Sacred Jewel." Lady Kiesu nodded her head.  
"Yes. My friends, this is indeed the Sacred Jewel. It appeared to me just moments after my sister passed on, almost whole and untainted. The Jewel is close to being restored to its proper form, it just requires the last shard." She then looked at Yori and a memory floated back into her head. She reached into her own shirt and pulled out the remaining shard.  
"When I first met Kaede, I saved the village from a demon. This was embedded in its stomach and I meant to give it to you all the next time I saw you." she said handing the shard to the High Priestess. Kiesu nodded her thanks and then placed the last shard in its proper place. There was a bright light as the shard merged into the Jewel and it became complete. Kiesu smiled and placed the Shikon Jewel back into her shirt.  
"What will you do with it?" Yori asked. Then Inuyasha jumped in also.  
"And what about Naraku?"  
"I shall return with it to the Sacred Lands and protect it inside of the castle. There, it shall never again fall into the hands of evil. As for Naraku, he has no means of growing any stronger. If you all wish to pursue him, I implore you to do so. If he is to die by your blade, Inuyasha, then he shall die at the hands of justice." Kaede nodded her head.  
"Thank you sister. Ay, Inuyasha, do ye wish to continue in your search for Naraku?" Inuyasha nodded.  
"We've been looking for him for so long, we can't quit now. We have people to avenge; Kikyo, Kohaku, Miroku's family, and the mangy wolf's tribe." And at the mention of Kohaku, everyone's eyes shifted to Sango. She had tears in her eyes and Miroku grabbed her in a comforting hug. Kiesu turned to Yori.  
"Who is this Kohaku?"  
"I believe he's Sango's younger brother." Kiesu's eyes widened.  
"Might he have large brown eyes and wear a uniform of the demon slayers?" Sango nodded to her and Kiesu smiled.  
"Your brother is not dead. You shall undoubtedly run into him during your search for Naraku. The shard that lied in Kohaku's back brought him back from the dead. And after having it for so long, he grabbed onto life and he is sustained." Sango's eyes widened with joy and a smile touched everyone's lips in the room. Then Kaede turned to Yori.  
"And ye? What do ye intend to do now Yori? Will ye return home now that all is said and done?" Everyone's eyes turned to her and she blushed, stepping a little closer to Sesshomaru.  
"Um, well I'd intended to return to the Western Lands with Sesshomaru." Kagome piped up.  
"Will you tell us the secret now?" Eyes pasted themselves on Kagome and she smiled a wide smile. Yori blushed again and cleared her throat as Sesshomaru grabbed her hand and squeezed it supportively.  
"Well, everyone, we've decided to get married."

Everyone's reaction was a small different than everyone else's. Miroku nodded his approval and Sango smiled. Kaede's eyes widened and she grinned while Shippo shook his head happily. Kagome jumped up and grabbed her friend's hands, elated while Lady Kiesu's face remained passive. And Inuyasha screamed "WHAT?" But oddly, Yori could hear another voice mixed into his scream. It was familiar; sort of whinny, definitely annoying, and… impish.  
"Master Jaken?" Jaken came stomping into the room, his green face painted red.  
"Lord Sesshomaru, how could you even think of marrying this girl! She is the very least fitted for you!" _Oh that little imp. If it wasn't for my injury, I would clobber him._ But Sesshomaru did something better.  
"Watch your tone Jaken. And you might want to get used to the idea of referring to her as Lady Yori." He almost lost consciousness and Yori couldn't resist the urge of laughing in his face. The silent war was over between the two; Yori, victorious. Little Rin ran in and hugged Yori and then Sesshomaru.  
"I'm so happy for you!" she said and the two smiled down at her. And Yori could tell they'd had the same general thought. When the time came, they would adopt Rin as their own child. Yori looked out to her friend's and was overtaken by a feeling of complete joy, even with Inuyasha's mouth still hanging wide open. She smiled a big smile and then noticed that Lady Kiesu had vanished.  
"Well I say we celebrate! Let us all visit the nearest tavern and rejoice with a bit of sake." Miroku said and the others nodded in agreement. They all filed out of the small hut and Yori pulled at Sesshomaru's sleeve.  
"I'll be back. I have to find the High Priestess." He nodded and gave her a quick peck on the cheek and she quickly walked in the other direction.  
Lady Kiesu was standing alone when Yori found her in the forest. She was going to say something when the priestess turned her head around to see who had found her, shot a look at Yori when she realized it was her, and faced the other direction once more.  
"You are a fool." Her words hit Yori like nothing she'd ever felt before.  
"What—"  
"How could you even think of marrying him? He is a demon Yori, and you are a priestess. Things such as these are not meant to be." Although Yori couldn't believe her ears, she held her ground.  
"Who are we to say they are not? Lady Kiesu, we are but mere mortals. We have no say in what fate has in store for us."  
"You are wrong. There are some things that are written in stone and we indeed know. Have you forgotten! You are next in line, the one who shall take my place as High Priestess!" Yori shook her head hard.  
"I fell in love with Sesshomaru before I met you. I will not become the High Priestess! And no one decides my fate but myself and I wish to be with Sesshomaru." Kiesu turned her then.  
"You are wrong again. You have no control over what fate decides. It shall bring you to its final decision in the end." Kiesu turned in the other direction once more.  
"My final decision has already been made. Fate will by no means change that." Yori said. She could see the fury in Kiesu's form and she walked away from Yori and into the thick trees. The wind blew in the night and just like that, the High Priestess was gone. Yori sighed and turned around, finding her way back to the village.  
The rest of that night had been filled with laughs, smiles, and congratulations. Even Jaken had perked up in the midst of things. They decided to leave in the morning, but as Yori lay down to sleep her and Lady Kiesu's conversation plagued her thoughts. And when she slept, she slept alongside nightmares of what was to come.


	13. A Wedding In Ruins

13. A Wedding in Ruins

It was fairly early in the morning when the group decided to leave. The sun hadn't risen jet and the village would sleep for a hour more before tending to their crops. The night before Inuyasha, Sango, Kagome, Miroku, and Shippo all came to the decision to travel with Yori to the Western Lands where they would all attend the wedding. Lady Kiesu had not reappeared that night and Yori concluded, with a small of regret, that she'd returned to the Sacred Lands.  
The group gave Kaede their thanks and wished her well, and set off to the Western Lands. Sesshomaru told then that it would take a week to get to the Western Lands if they walked, three days if they flew. They would fly, though not yet. It was clear that with Naraku most likely out for vengeance, it was not safe to fly in the dark hours of the day. So they would walk for now.  
The group was mainly split amongst itself; the girls huddled in the front and the guys, in the back. Two separate conversations were taking place, each one was a different aspect of the same thing; Yori's and Sesshomaru's decision to get married.  
"So, how did he ask you?" Sango started.  
"Was it sweet or did he just throw it at you?" Kagome added and Yori blushed. She twiddled her fingers as she spoke.  
"Well, the night after we returned to camp he told me he wanted to speak with me. There was a hot spring nearby and he asked me to meet him there. So when I went, he started talking about how he felt when I'd left for the Sacred Lands. And I listened and my heart was beating crazily in my chest, y'know? So then he told me that I was his human like all humans and—"  
"What's that?" Kagome asked.  
"Well, he explained to me that when his and Inuyasha's father fell in love with Izayoi, Sesshomaru's mother called her the human like all humans. It was meant as a negative comment but Sesshomaru said that Izayoi had made his father stronger." Kagome made that 'awwww' face. "But then he said that he wanted me to be more than that. He asked me to be his mate." Sango clapped her hands together, her eyes sparkling. But Kagome looked confused. Sango smiled at her.  
"Humans refer to their partners as husband or wife. But demons refer to them as mates. It's sort of the same principle with animals though; when a demon mates, he mates for life. It's this very odd bond that humans do not have." Kagome grabbed her friend and hugged her tightly.  
"I'm so happy for you!" She let her go and jumped up and down for a moment. "Now, let's talk wedding. Decorations? Wait, wait, wait, before that; bride's maids?" Yori laughed.  
"You know it's gonna be you and Sango."  
"But you need three!" Yori shook her head slowly.  
"But who—" And then the thought struck her. She smiled a wide smile as she stopped walking and reached into her shirt. She pulled out the small silver whistle and blew it with all her might, calling forth the uncontrollable wind. Yori smiled even wider when she felt the unnatural wind pick up around her. She widened her stance and looked in front of her.  
"Hey, kid. What's up?" Kagura stood, tall and beautiful in her state of freedom. There was a grin painted on her face and it grew as she looked behind Yori to Sesshomaru.  
"I've got something to tell you." Kagura nodded her head and the women continued to walk. "You were right. Almost as soon as you left a couple days ago Sesshomaru appeared. He told me that he loved me and he missed me. And now—"  
"And now they're getting married!" Kagome shouted. Yori looked at her, annoyed. But Kagura squealed in excitement, something that Yori never expected from her, and she hugged the woman whom she'd come to know as a sister.  
"Oh, I'm so happy for you."  
"Thanks, and we were discussing the wedding. Inuyasha and Kagome and the rest of the group decided to come back to the Western Lands with us to attend. Would you like to come and be my third bride's maid?" Kagura's face turned pink and she stuttered a little.  
"Uh, sure. That's very kind of you to consider me, but uh, I'm not too sure I should the leave the person I'm staying with now." Yori blinked.  
"Who are you staying with?" Kagura blushed a mad shade of red.  
"Oh, no one important." Kagome smiled evilly.  
"It's a guy, I can tell." She pulled on Kagura's sleeve playfully. "So what's his name, what does he look like, how'd you meet him?" Kagura looked to Yori, her eyes screaming _help me!_. Yori grinned and shook her head; she also wanted to know who Kagura had been staying with. Kagura swallowed, visibly uncomfortable.  
"Well, after I took you to the Sacred Lands, I ran into Naraku. He was fighting with someone and I decided to intervene. The two of us fought Naraku together."  
"Who?"  
"I'm not too sure you've heard of him. He's the young leader of the wolf demon tribe." Kagome and Sango nearly passed out.  
"Koga?" And right on cue, a whirlwind seemed the pass through the group and stop next to Kagura. Then, in the blink of an eye, there was a boy clad in a fashionable brown standing with his arm wrapped around her waist.  
"Hey beautiful. Why'd you run off?" Kagura blushed and he placed a tender kiss on her lips.  
"What the hell is going on?" Inuyasha screamed coming towards the couple. The boy, Koga, turned his blue eyes on him and then smiled.  
"What? You got a problem mutt?"  
"Ya, it popped up just as I caught your filthy stench in the air." The two were practically nose to nose already and Inyasha's hand was gripping the handle of his blade. Yori could feel Kagome stand straight.  
"Inuyasha sit." Inuyasha gave a small cry as the beads around his neck pulled him to the ground. Koga turned his nose up and scoffed.  
"Serves you right." The he walked back over to Kagura and grabbed her by her hips, kissing her full on the mouth. Yori's eyes widened, realizing that the two were in love, or at least, almost in love. She knew that for certain because Kagura seemed to melt in Koga's arms, something that Yori would have thought impossible. It amazed Yori, the way she held onto him as if he were life itself. The two parted as Inuyasha finally was able to pull himself off of the ground.  
"What kind of twisted world do we live in! Kagura and Koga!" Kagome let a small growl escape her throat and Inuyasha drew back as Sesshomaru and Miroku walked forward.  
"Love abounds in ways untold." the monk said. Koga smiled slyly and Kagura went even redder.  
"We fought Naraku together. I saved her life and in return she got me my jewel shards back. So, I invited her to my place and—" Kagura cleared her throat and Koga looked down to her.  
"Yori asked me to be one of her bride's maids during her and Sesshomaru's wedding." Koga's eyes popped a little. He turned to Sesshomaru and then turned to Yori and back to Sesshomaru again. And then he nodded his approval.  
"Actually," Yori said stepping forward. "We would greatly appreciate it if you would attend also." Koga smiled and nodded his head yes. And after a meaningful moment of silence, the whole group continued walking. The girls discussed, excitedly, everything about the wedding. There would be a beautiful buttermilk cake that would stand three feet tall and be decorated with blue icing and butterfly designs. They would have a winter themed wedding in celebration of the upcoming season. The bride's maids would wear long, blue silk gowns with shawls of an off-white color that would attach to their necks like chokers and could be fashioned around the wearer's body. The men would wear light gray suits with silver ties and Yori's dress would be a brilliant white, the color of the snow that was bound to fall the day they'd planned to have the ceremony. She would have rhinestone flowers of crystal decorating her dress and the veil that would cover her face. The flowers she walked down the aisle with would be freshly picked Snow Ladies (rare flowers that only bloomed the first night of winter, named for their slender and appealing shape) and Rin would litter the floor with rose petals as Shippo carried the rings behind her to the altar.  
In the five days the group traveled, the weather changed drastically. Each couple bundled together in the night, trying their hardest to stay warm. The days, though the wind was brutal, were not as bad. Yori treasured every moment of the trip; the bickering, the smiling, the laughing, the Inuyasha sitting, the cuddling, the just being with friends. She treasured every moment of every moment. But her heart nearly exploded late one evening in relief as the sight of a magnificent gate came into view.  
"Are we here?" she asked aloud and Sesshomaru nodded and continued to approach the gate as the rest of the group stopped. He touched the gate lightly with his hands. It seemed to glow a brilliant silver and then, a black hooded figure appeared. It spoke lowly, in a language alien to Yori's ears. Sesshomaru responded back and the figure went to its knees as the gate opened.  
"Come." he said and they all followed him through the gate. And Yori almost passed out at the sight of the castle. It was huge, wonderful, brilliant, and any other great word she could think of. It stood easily at seven floors and it was surrounded by a garden and smaller living quarters that were about two feet high. She jumped a little as Shessomaru grabbed her hand and smiled. She smiled back and the whole group stopped as a drawbridge was let down so they could pass. The grand doors opened and servants were bowing as soon as the floor came into Yori's sight. They were servants off all different types of human-like demons.  
" Master Sesshomaru, you have returned." one said and Yori could guess he was the head of the servants. Sesshomaru merely looked stared passed him at the castle and spoke firmly.  
"These people are here as guests, you are not to harass them by any means. For now, take their bags to the rooms of their choice. And do not wished to be disturbed for the remainder of the night."  
"Yes, Master Sesshomaru." And the group split up into different direction, their basically sleepless travel finally taking a toll on their bodies. Sesshomaru lead Yori up the grand staircase and into a huge room. The bed could easily hold ten people, and when Yori sat on it, it was the perfect cross between soft and firm. Sesshomaru peered at her from the corner of his eyes and stepped into the bathroom. Yori took advantage of the opportunity and went to the closet in search of some clothes. There she found splendid colors and materials for woman to wear. And as she went further into the closet, she realized that these clothes had once belonged to his mother. Shrugging, she grabbed a black cotton gown and slipped it on after folding her other clothes. Sesshomaru came out of the bathroom, now dressed in a simply white shirt and boxers. Yori blushed and crawled into the bed. He was besides her in a second.  
"So, how do you like your new home?" Yori smiled.  
"It's wonderful. I can't really wrap my mind around the fact that I will wake up to this every day." Sesshomaru smiled softly at Yori and then grabbed her hand.  
"Well, you are going to be the Lady of these lands. You'll have plenty of time to get used to it." And as the words left his mouth, he was sliding a ring on her finger. The ring was a sophisticated silver, with a diamond at the top, and two small engravings of a crescent moon, identical to the one on his forehead, on each side. She gasped at the feeling of the ring on her finger and smiled when she noticed his. It was identical, save there was a larger engraving on the top of his. Sesshomaru reached to his side and darkness enveloped the room as he shut the lights off. She smiled as he slid his arms around her waist and she snuggled close to him and breathed in his familiar scent. His kissed her on the top of her head.  
"I love you Yori."  
"I love you too." Her muscles relaxed as she dissolved in the feeling of Sesshomaru's arms around her and his promise of love forever fitting perfectly around her finger.

A week later, everything was set. The castle was rejoicing at the fact its master had finally found a mate and everyone attended the wedding. Everything was going as planned as Sango, Kagome, and Kagura were getting Yori ready. She stood on top of a stool as Kagome finished curling her hair and Kagura zipped up the dress. Sango handed her flowers to her and Yori nodded her thanks. They'd decided to have the wedding in the night because they would see the First Snow. The wedding itself would take place in the ballroom, and the cutting of the cake and gift giving would take place in the gardens. Yori breathed in a shaky breath.  
"Hey, don't worry Yori. You look beautiful. Sesshomaru will just drop dead." Kagome said and Yori smiled and hugged her three friends.  
"Thanks guys. Now go, or you'll miss your time to walk." They all smiled and left the room. Yori straightened the tiara that held her veil in place and stood straight to evaluate herself in the mirror.  
"You look beautiful." came a squeaky voice. Yori looked to her shoulder and smiled.  
"Hello Mister Myoga." Despite his size, Myoga was the one who everyone thought should give Yori away. She smiled confidently as the music made its way to her ears. She placed the veil over her face and held her flowers close to her stomach. The, she pushed the door open and made her way down to the black carpet that awaited her. Rin walked slowly a little ways ahead and Yori's feet stepped over the red rose petals and crushed them, filling the room with their beautiful smell. She looked up as gasps rang about the room. The bride's maids and their pairs were on both sides of Sesshomaru and the "priest". Sesshomaru's eyes widened as Yori came closer and Kagome leaned over to him.  
"Are you dropping dead?" He nodded his head and whispered back.  
"Yes, I believe I am." Yori looked so beautiful, regardless of the fact that he couldn't see her face. Her gown flowed behind her and she looked like an angel in a room full of demons. She reached the altar and he took her hands in his. Time passed quickly in Yori's eyes for all she could really hear was the sound of her own heart beating inside her chest, filling her with love and happiness. Sesshomaru's eyes seemed to peer into her very soul and welcome her to his. Finally, the words were spoken; the words that all had waited to hear.  
"You may now kiss the bride." Sesshomaru gently raised her veil and revealed her wondrous face. He knew that she could not be a creature of this world, it was not possible. The silver swirls around her eyes, the soft shimmer of white making her skin glow, her eyes brimmed with tears, no. He knew and he bent down and placed his lifts to her and grabbed her in a passionate embrace that she was a gift sent just for him. And he would treasure her to the end of his days.  
The room burst into cheers and Yori smiled a huge smile. She was so happy, it seemed unreal. She turned around and threw the bouquet over her shoulders and looked to see who'd caught it. Sango was holding the beautiful flowers, her face the color of a cherry as Miroku whispered something in her ear. Yori giggled and then let out a yelp as Sesshomaru swept her off her feet and walked with her to the gardens. Everyone followed and music started to play as they got there.  
"Alright! Cut the cake!" Kagome yelled and Sesshomaru set Yori down and walked towards the cake. He was bending over to read the inscription in icing that Yori knew read: _Let Love Remain Strong Throughout The Happiness Of Forever_. Yori had a wild idea as she tangled her fingers in Sesshomaru's hair. And before he could look at her, she pushed his face into the cake. Inuyasha feel on the floor laughing as Sesshomaru looked at Yori, his eyes hidden in butter cream icing. But just below the surface, she could see a smile. She turned to Kagome and gave her and thumbs up, and when she turned back around, she was mildly surprised to find a handful of cake smeared across her face. She wiped it from her eyes and looked at Sesshomaru who was actually laughing. And the next thing you know, the wedding cake was flying everywhere. People were screaming and laughing and having a grand time. Sesshomaru leaned over and licked a bit of icing off of Yori's cheek. In response, she turned to him and pushed him to the ground, the two disappearing behind the table. She handed him a napkin and they both wiped their faces off. Yori kissed Sesshomaru and he wrapped his arms around her waist. Some one cleared their throat.  
Yori turned and looked up to find their group of friends staring down at them.  
"What are you two doing?" Inuyasha asked. Miroku smiled knowingly.  
"I would think it wiser to wait until the honeymoon." he said, winking at them. Yori blushed madly and helped Sesshomaru off the ground.  
"Look!" Kagome cried and everyone's eyes turned to the sky. Small specks of white were floating slowly to the earth. Yori was amazed at the First Snow, and Sesshomaru pulled her close to him. And as the snow finally reached the ground, oddly, so did glass.  
The unmistakable sound of a window shattering grabbed the attention of everyone and they all turned their heads towards the ballroom. Yori grabbed Sesshomaru's hand and held it tight, fear spreading through her body. _What is that?_ Then he questions were answered. Barely, she could see flashed of black dance in and out of her vision and it was apparent that someone was crashing the wedding. Someone let out a scream and all of a sudden, smoke rose from the ground, engulfing everything around it. And within seconds, Yori felt Sesshomaru's hand slip from hers.  
"Sesshomaru?" she cried in the darkness. The smoke, she knew this kind of smoke. It erupted from small pills that the monks and priests used in the Sacred…  
"Kiesu!" she shouted and someone grabbed her and placed their hand over her mouth. She elbowed the unseen person in their stomach and ran forward, beginning to cough violently. She caught sight of silver hair and she knew Sesshomaru was fighting.  
"Yori!" he called. But she didn't have the strength to answer back. Someone grabbed her again, but his time they were successful in dragging her away. She fought with what little strength she had left and reached out her hand, trying to get his attention, to grab a hold of him once more. _Sesshomaru._ But it was futile, and she lost consciousness with his name echoing through her head.

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_**Okay guys, With the Wind is over but Shadows in the Snow will soon begin. Please, continue to read and review. And thanks so much to those of you who posted your comments. I promise i won't let you down. ;)**_


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